SON DG, Dr. Ikem Odumodu
In a fresh move to control the influx of substandard products into the market, the Federal Government has opened a consumer compliant desk at Alaba International Market, Lagos.
It has also disclosed that it will soon begin to raid all markets in the country to confiscate any substandard products as it launches zero tolerance regimes for substandard products.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Consumer Protection Council (CPC), through which the government wants to carry out the operation, have also disclosed that similar compliant desk would be extended to other major markets across the country.
Speaking with THISDAY on the new initiative, the Head of Public Affairs in CPC, Mr Abiodun Obimuyiwa, said the compliant desk would help Nigerians to have access to the council without any stress.
“Aside other benefits, the compliant desk would bring CPC and SON close to members of public. With this in place, consumers who have complain to make can easily reach CPC or SON’s representative at the desk in various markets. SON would determine if the good reported is fake or not, it will also verify the source, may be is locally made or imported. From here, CPC would take over and follow all the necessary process required to deal with deal issue,” he said.
Meanwhile the Minister of state, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom, has said the trade and investment ministry would continue to support the SON in its set goals to achieve the policy of zero tolerance to substandard products.
Speaking in Lagos at a meeting organised by SON with the Organised Private Sector (OPS), the minister said; “The strategic importance of OPS in driving economic growth, creating employment opportunities and promoting industrialisation is vividly captured in the road map of the ministry”.
The road map, according to him, is expected to deepen trade, increase productivity of local companies, and focus on the growth of SMEs and industrial cluster sector, as well as strengthening the purchasing capacity of consumers.
The minister of state, however, urged industrialists in the country to be open to officials of the SON in its obligations to successfully implement its strategy of zero tolerance to substandard products.
Director General, SON, Joseph Odumodu, in a meeting with the OPS and the Alaba Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria and the General Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria, said the organisation will not only burn the substandard products found at the market but go further to persecute the dealers and seal up their shops.
Odumodu stated that the desk was necessary to guide consumers in procuring quality products and lodge complaint when a substandard product was purchased.
“With the new consumer desk set up and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), we have right to enter any market in the country to persecute the dealer; put the person and the product on national television for transparency,” he stated.
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