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SON Urges Traders To Dispose Fake Products

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13 years ago

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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has warned traders in the FCT to remove all sub-standard products in the market within two weeks or face prosecution.

Its Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, gave the warning at a Market Enlightenment/Sensitisation Seminar in Abuja.

Odumodu, who was represented by the Director of Human Capital in SON, Mr Paul Angya, said marketers should always confirm if products had been tested with evidence of test certificates.

He listed the country of origin, manufacturing and expiry dates, guaranty/warranty, and label, among others, as some of the things the importer and purchaser should check before transaction.

Odumodu said that traders should imbibe the tenets of self regulation by removing all those products that did not conform to standard specifications within the next two weeks.

“SON is poised to invoke the authority provided under its enabling act to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Industrial Standards after the grace period.

“It will then prosecute defaulters,” he said.

The director general said that the programme was in furtherance of the zero tolerance to sub-standard products initiative which was intended to phase out sub-standard products in the country by the end of 2012.

The SON boss said that the organisation was collaborating with the Consumer Protection Council to establish help desks in major markets to provide assistance to consumers when purchasing products.

Earlier, the Head of the Abuja Zonal Office of SON, Mr Gambo Dimka, showed stakeholders how to identify sub-standard products from an array of products displayed.

The displayed products were sockets, cables, stabilisers and some textile materials.

He urged marketers to ensure that products supplied to them had the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) certificate.

The Managing Director of the Abuja Markets Management Ltd. Mr Abubakar Faruk, commended SON for its efforts at “sanitising the market of fake and sub-standard products.’’

Farouk urged SON not to make the exercise a one-stop event, but “to build on it in order to reduce the avoidable pains that enforcement brings about.’’

He called on Abuja traders to take advantage of the programme to weed the markets of such products.

In his contributions, the Chairman, Dei Dei Market Traders Association, Mr Raphael Onah, appealed to SON to make the efforts at eradicating the influx of sub-standard products a comprehensive one.

Onah said such products passed through the borders, seaports and airports before getting to the markets.

He stressed the need for authorities at such entry points to rise to the occasion.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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3 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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