The Chief Executives of Cable Manufacturers in Nigeria have given kudos to the commitment of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in providing a level playing field for genuine local manufacture and imports into Nigeria.
Speaking under the auspices of Cable Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CAMAN), the President, Mr. Ifeanyi Uzodike expressed deep appreciation to the SON leadership for it’s renewed commitment and vigour to the fight against the influx of substandard products into Nigeria.
Mr. Uzodike who led the Chief Executives of CAMAN member companies to a courtesy visit on the SON Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma in Lagos, acknowledged the invaluable support of SON to the high quality of made in Nigeria cables through certification, under it’s Mandatory Conformity Assessment Program.
He stated that the recent seizures of imported, cloned made in Nigeria cables by the SON enforcement team was worthy of great commendation.
According to him, members of the association owe great gratitude to SON for it’s guidance in producing cables of the highest quality as attested to worldwide.
The CAMAN President however urged SON to look further into the importation of cloned certified made in Nigeria cables, unbranded ones, usually with short measures in the Nigerian market.
These according to the CAMAN Chief Executives are hurting Nigerian Consumers, local Cable Manufacturers and the Nation’s economy and safety of it’s people at large.
Responding, SON Director General, Osita Aboloma pledged the continued commitment of his organization to the protection of all certified local products through standardisation and quality assurance activities.
According to him, SON has put in place several measures to fight the unfair competition by substandard imported cables brought in through false declaration, smuggling and ouright faking of certified made in Nigeria cables.
These measures he said, have been yielding positive results as can be attested to by the recent seizures of large consignments of cloned made in Nigeria cables and other substandard products imported into the country.
The SON Director General disclosed some of the measures as including the robust collaboration with sister regulatory and security agencies and classified treatment of useful information from patriotic stakeholders.
Others according to him include, prosecution of infractions relating to substandard products distribution under the SON Act No. 14 of 2015 and constant review of strategies by the SON enforcement team.
He acknowledged the existing collaboration between SON and CAMAN and called for a constant review to reflect the realities of today, stressing that the challenges of the economy has continued to increase the desperation of unscrupulous importers and distributors of substandard products.
Mr. Aboloma challenged CAMAN members to do much more to complement SON efforts in protection of their brands, individually and collectively through continued provision of useful information and logistics support among others.
He promised to look further into the issues of unbranded cables in the Nigerian market .
