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Protecting Nigerian Consumers From Substandard Goods, Services

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Arguably, safeguarding the right of the citizenry against substandard products is the primary motive behind the government’s establishment of standards’ control agencies.

The government’s action is, perhaps, informed by media reports indicating that the production of substandard products have led to the deprivation of the consumer’s rights and the death of several persons.

Rights activists also argue that consumer rights are important aspects of human rights, which are aimed at protecting the people’s right to have access to quality goods and services.

They say that the public awareness of consumer rights will invariably save consumers from aberrations such as outright deception, unfair trade practices and deceptive advertising, among others.

It is, therefore, not surprising when the former Director-General of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs Ifeyinwa Umenyi, described consumers as a fundamental part of the nation’s body polity and economy.

Apparently aware of such viewpoints, the Federal Government has been resolute in its decision to protect Nigerian consumers from substandard products and services.

As part of efforts to protect Nigerian consumers from inferior goods and services, the Federal Government established the CPC in 1992 and empowered it to look after the interests of consumers.

The CPC, which commenced operations in 1999, has since been striving to fulfil the mandate via varying strategies.

For instance, the council’s officials recently carried out several market raids, routine market inspections, goods’ confiscation, while prosecuting marketers of some substandard wares; all in an effort to uphold the consumers’ rights.

The high-point of the exercise, which took place late last year, was the confiscation of some sub-standard medical equipment hidden in a residential area in Karu, FCT.

Speaking on that particular raid, Umenyi said that the council officials seized solo-shot syringes packed in 310 cartons that had been exposed to sun, rain, dust and other participles.

She said that the purity of the products, which were largely used at the primary health care level for immunisation, was seriously in doubt.

In one of her final engagements before she left the council, Umenyi urged consumers to be vigilant when making purchases, adding that they should always report the circulation of suspicious products to the council.

Besides, Mr Sham Kolo, CPC’s Head of Surveillance and Enforcement, said that a bakery was sealed for using fake labels.

He added that the bakery also operated under unhygienic conditions.

“The environment is too dirty for such business and they are using two labels and packages, which belong to other popular brands, to sell their products.

“They are giving misleading information to the public and from our surveillance; we discovered that most of their products go to schools,’’ he said.

During the same exercise, the council also sealed the a bakery in Dutse-Alhaji, a suburb of Abuja, and an NNPC franchise outlet at Jiwa, near Deidei, in the FCT for alleged inappropriate transactions.

Kolo alleged that the fuel station usually dispensed 17.8 litres of fuel anytime a customer bought 20 litres of fuel, adding that its customers were thereby shortchanged.

He claimed that the only fuel pump at the station that was somewhat normal was not used in selling fuel to customers.

However, the station’s Manager, Mr Sam Odo, claimed that he was not aware of the development.

“We have an engineer who sets the pump; so, I don’t know anything about it,’’ he said.

A taxi-driver, Mr Sunday Okafor, said that although he bought petrol at the station on a daily basis, he never noticed the alleged aberration.

As part of efforts to create public awareness and educate the public on how to detect inappropriate transactions, the CPC recently launched the Products and Services Listing and Monitoring Programme (ProServe) to check the prevalence of substandard products and services.

Speaking at the programme’s inauguration in Abuja, Umenyi said that the absence of a databank for products and services was being exploited by some dubious businessmen.

She said that ProServe was designed to protect consumers, while ensuring that they were well-informed about the various products available to them.

Umenyi said that this had become necessary because manufacturers and service providers were more concerned about their commercial messages rather than the education of consumers.

“ProServe is, therefore, designed to introduce a listing regime that will require all genuine manufacturers and certified service providers in all sectors of the economy to enlist their products and services for proper monitoring,’’ she said.

Applauding the initiative, the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, said that ProServe was a quality-control mechanism designed to eliminate counterfeiting by some “get-rich-quick’’ businessmen.

Represented by Mrs Zainab Maina, the Minister of Women Affairs, Jonathan noted that any infringement on the rights of consumers would affect the general welfare of Nigerians and the economy.

“Consumers should also ensure that the products and services they purchase are listed with ProServe,’’ she said.

Commending the council’s effort, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that countries which wanted their products to compete in the global market must necessarily measure up to the set standards.

The SGS, who was represented by Dr Henry Akpan, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the SGF, said that ProServe was a laudable project, as it dealt with information on goods and services.

Anyim noted that the Federal Government was worried about the influx of substandard products into the Nigerian market and was eager to check the situation.

Sharing similar sentiments, Dr Olusegun Aganga, the Minister of Trade and Investment, said that the programme would instill consumers’ confidence in local goods.

The minister stressed that such confidence would boost the citizens’ patronage of local products, while creating jobs.

Besides, consumers deserved to have access to the necessary information about the products they were buying, he added.

As part of strategies put in place to protect consumers’ rights, the council has also urged operators of supermarkets to establish complaints redress desks in their shops to handle customers’ grievances.

Nevertheless, observers are of the view that the council is not proactive enough in its crusade against substandard products and services in the country.

They urge the new Director-General of the CPC, Mr Emmanuel Amlai, to initiate a sustained enlightenment of consumers so as to enable them to identify substandard products on time.

 

Chijioke Okoronkwo, is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

 

Chijioke Okoronkwo

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Eazipay  Offers Zero-Interest Loans To  150,000 SMEs, Employees

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With a mission to ignite growth, encourage business continuity and help businesses and employees thrive, Eazipay is gearing up to propel the dreams of 150,000 SMEs and employees to new heights through her relief fund.
Gone are the days of financial constraints and stifled dreams. With Eazipay’s support, SMEs and employees alike can bid farewell to limitations and embrace a world of endless possibilities.
Whether it’s start up,  business expansion or personal development, Eazipay is here to make dreams come true.
The mind-blowing initiative, which  kicked off this month, would end in December, and will also offer a range of perks and benefits designed to put a smile on the faces of SMEs and employees alike.
From exclusive discounts to various advisory services and beyond, Eazipay is committed to spreading happiness and creating lasting impact in people’s lives and to the growth of businesses.
The technology company which offers products and services that range from payroll management to IT/Device management and assessments, “Eazipay isn’t just providing financial support but also unleashing a wave of growth and prosperity for SMEs and employees across the nation.
“Interested businesses and individuals can take part in this initiative directly from the Eazipay website: www.myeazipay.com”.

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SMEs Critical For Sustainable Dev – Commissioner

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The Commissioner of Finance, Lagos State, Abayomi Oluyomi, has described Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a critical engine for sustainable development in any economy.
He said this recently at the 10th anniversary of the Alert Group Microfinance Bank and the opening of their new head office in Lagos.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, SMEs accounted for about 50 per cent of Nigeria’s gross.
He commended the positive impact of the Alert MFB as it empowers SMEs in the State.
“Alert MFB in the past 10 years has been at the forefront of empowering SMEs in Lagos State, disbursing over N30bn in loans to over 30,000 individuals having small to medium businesses over that period, which is quite remarkable”, he said.
Speaking, the Group Managing Director of Alert Group, Dr Kazeem Olanrewaju, revealed that the financial institution commenced business in 2013 as a microfinance bank.
“We started this journey in 2013 and it has been expanding. Today, they have about 10 branches across Lagos. They have supported well over 30,000 clients and have disbursed over N30bn.
“The company has been profitable since the second year. Looking at the market and the available opportunity, the Alert MFB board decided to come together to establish a Microfinance Institute (MFI), which is the Auto Bucks Lenders”, Dr. Olanrewaju said.
The GMD further stated that the company was focused more on supporting businesses and small and medium enterprises.
“The loan to support business represents over 98 per cent. The consumer loans you will see are the ones given to entrepreneurs. So, the area of focus of Alert MFB and Auto Bucks Lenders is to support businesses across the country.
“With the establishment of Auto Bucks Lenders, we have the opportunity to also do business outside Lagos. So, presently, we have offices in Ogun State and Oyo State. We intend to go to every part of Nigeria to support what we are doing”, he declared.

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Retailers Explain Price Drop In  Cement Cost

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The cement market, in the last couple of weeks, has seen a significant turnaround with prices tumbling from between N10,000 and N15,000 per 50kg bag to between N7,000 and N8,000.
The sudden rise in the prices of cement and other major building materials in February this year upsets  the construction industry, especially in real estate, where many developers were forced to abandon building sites.
A recent market survey conducted by The Tide’s source in different locations across the country confirmed a price drop, ranging between N7,000 and N7,500 per bag, though BUA cement is selling for N7,500 to N7,800 per 50kg bag, depending on location.
Both entrepreneurs and major distributors who were interviewed,  explained that the price drop is due to low demand and government’s intervention.
At the peak of the price hike, the Federal Government called a meeting with major producers where it was agreed that a bag of cement should be between for N7,000 to N8,000, depending on location.
But the producers did not comply with this agreement immediately, followin which “Nigerians stopped demanding for cement; many project sites were abandoned as developers sat back and waited for the prices to come down.
“So, what has happened is an inter-play of demand and supply with price responding, which is Economics at work”, Collins Okpala, a cement dealer, told the source in Abuja.
In the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory, a 50-kg bag of Dangote cement now sells for between N7,000 and N7,500, while BUA cement sells for between N8,500 and N9,500, down from between N11,000 and N12,000 respectively.
In Lagos, the product has seen significant price drop too. In Ojo area of the state, Sebastin Ovie, a dealer, told our reporter that what has happened is a crash from the January price, attributing the crash to low demand and stronger naira.
“The current price of the product is between N7,000 and N7,500 per 50kg bag, depending on the brand. This is a significant drop from the average of N12,000 which most dealers were selling in February and March”, he said.
A dealer in Agege area of the state who identified himself as Taofik Olateju, told the source that sales are picking up due to the drop in price.
He recalled that Nigerians at a point stopped buying due to the high price of the product at N15,000 per bag.
“I am sure most dealers ran at a loss then because we had mainly old stocks which we wanted to offload quickly”, he said, confirming that the product sells for between N7,500 and N8,000, depending on the brand and the demand for the brand.
Continuing, Olateju noted that “because the naira is now doing well against the dollar, it will be unreasonable for manufacturers to continue to sell the product at the old prices. I also believe that the federal government’s intervention and the threat to license more importers may have worked, leading to the reduction in price”.
In Enugu, the source reports that the product sells for between N7,200 and N7,500 depending on the brand and location.
“This is a city where the price of a 50kg bag went for as high as N12,000 and N13,000 in some cases in February and March”, Samuel Chikwendu said.
He added that the prices of other building materials, especially iron rods, have also dropped considerably which is why, he said, activities are picking up again at construction sites.
The story is slightly different in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, where Innocent Okonkwo told the source that low demand was also driving the price drop, adding that a 50kg bag was selling for N9,000 on the average in the state.
Sundry market observers are optimistic of further price reductions, but they remain cautious as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers continue to play critical roles in setting prices for end-users.
They lamented, however, that despite Nigeria’s status as one of the largest producers of cement in Africa, the price of the product continues to rise, particularly in the face of high inflation impacting the building materials market generally.
Okpala in Abuja highlighted the variations arising from direct sourcing from manufacturers versus procurement through dealers, with traders holding old stocks selling products at prices ranging from N8,500, N8,300 to N8,000 per bag.
Lucy Nwachukwu, another dealer in Abuja, said the significance of  procurement volume in determining cement costs, noting that stability in prices has been observed over the past month, with the product retailing for between N7,000 and N7,800 depending on the brand.
In Port Harcourt also, a customer, Daniel Etteobong Effiong, said the price goes between N7500 to N8500, depending on the brand and the location one is buying from.

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