SON destroys N450m substandard goods

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed fake and substandard products valued at over N450 million.
The SON Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, said it was part of efforts to ensure that unwholesome products did not find their way into Nigerian markets and also to demonstrate its zero tolerance for substandard goods.
Aboloma explained that SON would not relent in its fight against fake and substandard goods in the country. According to him, the products were intercepted and impounded by the compliance and enforcement team located at various points across the country, particularly in Lagos.
The DG said during the destruction exercise at the agency’s dumpsite at Epe, Lagos that substandard goods were dangerous to lives, property and the nation’s economic health.
Aboloma called on all stakeholders, including the media, to join in the campaign to get rid of such products in the country.
He said: “We are destroying these substandard products worth over N450 million. These products have been labelled substandard after we carried out due diligence and conformity assessment to requisite standards on them.”
According to him, the products failed the conformity and integrity tests.
The DG maintained that the decision to destroy them was to save lives and property of Nigerians who might fall victims and prey to the killerproducts if allowed to circulate.
He added: “The substandard products we are destroying today range from bulbs, cables, tyres, shaving sticks and aluminium coils among others. We decided to perform the destruction exercise on two sites – Ogba and Epe. We are destroying especially the expired tyres and bad aluminium coils at our Ogba warehouse.
The tyres and coils require specialised mechanical equipment as well as special handling for their destruction as their particles could be recycled and useful for other industrial purposes.”