Business
SON Surveys Substandard Goods, Nationwide
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says it has embarked on a nationwide market survey of substandard products following consumers’ complaints especially over cell phone accessories and electronics.
Mr Joseph Odumodu, Director-General of SON, told newsmen that the outcome of the survey would be made public by the end of the month. He, however, dismissed the speculation that 95 percent of cell phone accessories and electronics in Nigeria were sub-standard. “I don’t know where the statistics came from but the basis cannot be true, we are currently conducting another survey and as soon as that is completed I would release the statistics.
“You should just give us another month for our final records to be out and we would be able to confirm the level of substandard goods in the country. The situation is very bad and people have a right to complain. “We have just secured a place in the market because that makes it a lot easier for us to monitor what is happening and also to ensure that our enforcement is targeted correctly and accordingly,” Odumodu said.
He said that SON had achieved a level of standardisation in spite of the activities of some fraudulent people. “People who were having a field day suddenly called themselves to order and if you check very well, we have actually impounded phone accessories on a routine basis. “The point to be made is that our markets are definitely awash with substandard products and they have been for a long time. We have started a process which has resulted in a drastic reduction of these products,” he noted.
Odumodu called for concerted efforts to protect the health of Nigeria and the environment.