Markets: Nigeria frowns on consumer exploitation with misleading ads, counterfeit products

*Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, stresses the role of standardisation in quality benchmarks, expressing concern over increasing exploitation of African consumers through misleading product advertisements, counterfeit products, substandard services, and safety hazards associated with overpriced offerings

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Underscoring the need for stakeholders to ensure that goods and services meet internationally recognised quality benchmarks, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment (ITI), has expressed serious concern over the rising exploitation of African consumers through misleading product advertisements, counterfeit products, substandard services, and safety hazards associated with overpriced offerings in the marketplace.

The Minister emphasised this at the 11th African Day of Standardisation organised, which the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) organised Tuesday, September 17, 2024, in Abuja, FCT.

ConsumerConnect reports the SON organised the event with the theme, “Empowering Consumers through Standardisation to Achieve Their Rights to Safe Quality Goods and Services”, to create awareness about the rights of consumers in Nigeria, and the global efforts at creating awareness on consumer rights and needs.

Uzoka-Anite noted that the exploitative trend against consumers has persisted even though the continent is the fastest-growing consumer market globally.

Standardisation as safety net for consumers in Africa, by Minister

Represented at the event by Nura Rimi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, she also explained that standardisation plays a vital role in ensuring that goods and services meet internationally recognised quality benchmarks and the African market should not be a dumping ground.

The Minister further explained that Africa has over 1.2 billion consumers, the figure which is being projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2030 while the continent’s consumer expenditure is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 3.9 percent to hit $2.1 trillion by 2025, and $2.5 trillion in 2030.

According to her, the implementation of standardised procedures can change the narrative, serving as a safety net for consumer rights.

Uzoka-Anite said: “Candidly speaking, consumers in Africa are faced with several challenges emanating from misleading advertisements, reproach from service providers, counterfeit products, unsafe items, substandard services, inadequate information or transparency, and safety hazards associated with overpriced offerings.

“However, the implementation of standards across the African continent has changed the narrative, serving as a safety net for consumer rights.”

She equally noted the strategic importance of quality standards in protecting consumers’ wellbeing in the marketplace.

On SON’s role in quality benchmarks and consumer protection

The Minister stated: “Standardisation plays a vital role in ensuring that goods and services meet internationally recognised quality benchmarks, building consumer trust, enhancing market access, and driving export growth.

“It promotes innovation by providing a framework for the adoption of advanced technologies and best practices, enabling businesses to compete on the global scale.”

She stated that through embracing standards, consumers would experience enhanced production of high-quality products and services.

“In Nigeria, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria plays a pivotal role in promoting standardisation, implementing robust quality assurance mechanisms, and consumer safety.

“SON collaborates with international standardisation bodies, aligning national standards with global best practices and facilitating trade integration, Uzoka-Anite said.

The Minister also stated: “The importance of standardisation in empowering the consumers’ rights cannot be overstated.

“Standardisation ensures that our manufacturers and importers adhere to internationally recognised quality benchmarks, thus building consumer trust, enhancing market access, and driving export growth.

“As we celebrate the 11th African Day of Standardisation, let us reaffirm our commitment to empowering consumers through effective standardisation strategies and also foster a culture of quality consciousness, where businesses strive for excellence in every aspect of their operations.”

We’re committed to protecting consumers from exploitation, says Dr. Okeke, SON Chief

Speaking at the event, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, FCA, ALTI, Director-General of SON, restated the commitment of the market regulatory agency to protecting Nigerian consumers from exploitation.

Okeke also observed a significant rise in the number of consumers accessing quality goods and services through its policies in the Nigerian economy.

“Consumers, being end-users of goods and services, require rights that serve as a means of protecting them from exploitation, therefore, standardisation is a tool of consumer empowerment against violating consumer rights,” said the Director-General of SON.