Products Standards: Level of Compliance by Importers, Manufacturers High, Says SON
SON DG
By Francis Ugwoke
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said that the level of compliance with international standards on imports and local products by importers and manufacturers is improving in the country.
A Director of the agency with the Apapa Area operations office, Dr. Mrs Omolara Okunlola, said this was as a result of concerted efforts of the organisation in enforcing regulations on products standards in the country.
Okunlola in a chat with SHIPPING DAY online said Nigerian importers and manufacturers have been made to understand the implication of substandard products to the economy, adding that a lot has been done to enforce standard of imports and products being manufactured in Nigeria.
She said that SON has invested heavily on laboratory equipment and other technology to achieve efficiency in checking standards of products either imported or manufactured locally.
On some of the sub-standard goods, such as second hand tyres, among others that could still be found on the market, she maintained that this could be traced to smuggling.
She added that in trying to do their job, some officers of SON have been affected, but said this would not kill the morale of the personnel in trying to carry out the organization’s statutory obligations.
According to her, SON has presence in most big markets in Lagos and parts of the country to be able to monitor standards of products.
She admitted that not being among other agencies at the nation’s ports was negative to SON, apparently because the personnel now wait to be invited in respect of goods that fall into their statutory obligation.
It would be recalled that the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) supports the return of the organization to the seaports to be part of goods examination.
The founder of the association, Dr Boniface Aniebonam had last year explained that having the security agencies, including SON, complete all their checks on goods at the ports will save importers the nightmare they encounter when such goods are stopped on the city roads.
Speaking at the Second Edition of the Round Table Conference with the members of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers, he explained that SON’s presence at the ports would make the job of cargo delivery more seamless.
He also explained that it was not SON that wants to return to ports but freight forwarders.
He made it clear that it was to avoid obstruction on the road as the containers are being conveyed to the owners.
Aniebonam said, ” SON is not clamouring to come back to the ports. We (freight forwarders) are the ones requesting for them to come back to the ports so that our job of cargo delivery to the owners would not be obstructed. We are not comfortable any more because of the inherent hardship we are passing through with the Enforcement Units of different government Agencies found on the city roads . We are daily losing money.
“What we are saying is that SON should be at the ports so that if any job is havinq problem, her officials are there to tackle the problem immediately, so that the cargo can get to the owners quickly and we collect our money. ”
” In any case, what is wrong with SON being at the ports? Afterall, NAFDAC, NDLEA, etc are all at the ports. SON has more work to do at the ports.
“SON is an Agency of the government. Government has already given a directive under the Executive Order that the Agency should operate from outside the ports. But what we are saying is that that arrangement is not in favour of free flow of trade because the Enforcement Unit of SON is still found on the roads, causing obstruction. We are asking for the Enforcement Unit of SON to be at the ports, doing their job there. We want to deliver cargo to the owners with ease. We are not involved in quality assurance. So , it is not SON that wants to come back to the ports. We(freight forwarders) are the one asking for the return of the Organisation to the ports.”
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said that the level of compliance with international standards on imports and local products by importers and manufacturers is improving in the country.
A Director of the agency with the Apapa Area operations office, Dr. Mrs Omolara Okunlola, said this was as a result of concerted efforts of the organisation in enforcing regulations on products standards in the country.
Okunlola in a chat with SHIPPING DAY online said Nigerian importers and manufacturers have been made to understand the implication of substandard products to the economy, adding that a lot has been done to enforce standard of imports and products being manufactured in Nigeria.
She said that SON has invested heavily on laboratory equipment and other technology to achieve efficiency in checking standards of products either imported or manufactured locally.
On some of the sub-standard goods, such as second hand tyres, among others that could still be found on the market, she maintained that this could be traced to smuggling.
She added that in trying to do their job, some officers of SON have been affected, but said this would not kill the morale of the personnel in trying to carry out the organization’s statutory obligations.
According to her, SON has presence in most big markets in Lagos and parts of the country to be able to monitor standards of products.
She admitted that not being among other agencies at the nation’s ports was negative to SON, apparently because the personnel now wait to be invited in respect of goods that fall into their statutory obligation.
It would be recalled that the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) supports the return of the organization to the seaports to be part of goods examination.
The founder of the association, Dr Boniface Aniebonam had last year explained that having the security agencies, including SON, complete all their checks on goods at the ports will save importers the nightmare they encounter when such goods are stopped on the city roads.
Speaking at the Second Edition of the Round Table Conference with the members of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers, he explained that SON’s presence at the ports would make the job of cargo delivery more seamless.
He also explained that it was not SON that wants to return to ports but freight forwarders.
He made it clear that it was to avoid obstruction on the road as the containers are being conveyed to the owners.
Aniebonam said, ” SON is not clamouring to come back to the ports. We (freight forwarders) are the ones requesting for them to come back to the ports so that our job of cargo delivery to the owners would not be obstructed. We are not comfortable any more because of the inherent hardship we are passing through with the Enforcement Units of different government Agencies found on the city roads . We are daily losing money.
“What we are saying is that SON should be at the ports so that if any job is havinq problem, her officials are there to tackle the problem immediately, so that the cargo can get to the owners quickly and we collect our money. ”
” In any case, what is wrong with SON being at the ports? Afterall, NAFDAC, NDLEA, etc are all at the ports. SON has more work to do at the ports.
“SON is an Agency of the government. Government has already given a directive under the Executive Order that the Agency should operate from outside the ports. But what we are saying is that that arrangement is not in favour of free flow of trade because the Enforcement Unit of SON is still found on the roads, causing obstruction. We are asking for the Enforcement Unit of SON to be at the ports, doing their job there. We want to deliver cargo to the owners with ease. We are not involved in quality assurance. So , it is not SON that wants to come back to the ports. We(freight forwarders) are the one asking for the return of the Organisation to the ports.”
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