Government commissions SON Zonal Office in Ekiti, restates crackdown on fraudsters, manufacturers of substandard products

*The Federal Government warns fraudsters and fakers of substandard products that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria is fully to arrest, confiscate and prosecute any offender or group of offenders violating the laws relating to standards of goods and services in the country

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

With a renewed commitment to tackling producers of counterfeit and substandard products, the Federal Government has commissioned a new Zonal Office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and its well-equipped laboratory in Ekiti State, South West of the country.

Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, speaking during the commissioning in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital Friday, July 2 said the inauguration of the SON facility in Ekiti State would not only expand the activities of the organisation from the state capital to all local government areas, but reduce the cost and turnaround time for test results as against transporting product samples to laboratories in Lagos or Enugu, according to report.

Adeniyi disclosed the best way to check the rate of deaths associated with substandard products is to imbibe a standard assurance culture by making use of the agency’s services.

The Minister warned the government, through the SON, would continue the clamp down by arresting and prosecuting fake products offenders in the overall interest of the Nigerian consumers.

He said: “Let me use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to fraudsters and those engaging in the production of substandard products that SON is, by its amended Act of 2015, weaponised with teeth to arrest, confiscate and prosecute any offender or group of offenders who violate the laws relating to standards of goods and services in Nigeria.”

“The Organisation has recorded significant achievements in the prosecution of offenders in the past years, and more arrests and prosecutions are on the way especially for foreign nationals and their Nigerian collaborators who try to turn Nigeria into a dumping ground for sub-standard products.”

Otunba Adeniyi also stated: “SON is coming hard on violators; and the Director-General and his Management have assured me of their preparedness to work with individuals or groups to collectively improve the lives of Nigerians through standards and to make Nigeria stand tall in the comity of nations.”

Malam Farouk Salim, Director-General of SON, said the new office complex and the laboratory of the regulatory agency would further enhance its services in respect of certifying quality products for consumers.

Salim noted: “The commissioning of this office complex today signifies the resolve by SON management to bequeath a functional substructure as part of the National Quality Infrastructure (NQI) to every state of the Federation.

This, he stated, will help to improve our services by bringing it closer to the people especially in the areas of conformity assessment and laboratory testing of products to relevant standards.

The SON Director-General explained: “Testing of products to relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) and International Standards by SON laboratories means products from Ekiti State and environs can compete favourably locally and through export at the international markets, especially with the ongoing implementation of the AfCTA agreement.”

Governor (Dr.) Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on the occasion, urged both local and international industrialists to avail themselves of the new facilities and invest in the state in an effort towards the much-needed industrialisation and economic viability.

Dr. Fayemi noted that the inauguration of SON’s permanent office is timely with the recent feasibility study and design of Ekiti Special Economic zone infrastructure currently ongoing through the ADB middle income technical assistance grants.

The facility would enhance the economy activities of the state like never before with standard and quality assurance in its proper place, he said.

Fayemi, therefore, solicited the support of the SON to the farmers and processors through value addition to farm processes and products to help increase commercial activities in the state.

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