SON supports Made-In-Nigeria tyres, alarmed by large cache of substandard products seized

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has reiterated its commitment to the safety of lives, consumer growth and expansion of the manufacturing industry and economic growth of the country.

The Director-General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, restated the agency’s commitment during an oversight inspection of substandard goods seized across the country by SON’s Surveillance, Intelligence and Monitoring Unit (SIM) and the Inspectorate and Compliance (ICD), at the agency’s warehouse in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos state.

The SON helmsman stated emphatically that the organisation is willing to collaborate with any company serious about building a tyre manufacturing factory in the country.

Salim said, “we will gladly give them all the cooperation they need, and also lobby the legislature and other agencies in the country to give them the same backing”.

During the tour of the warehouse facility to ascertain the items recovered from unscrupulous importers, the SON team was alarmed by the large number of substandard goods ranging from tyres, electrical cables roofing sheets, lubricants etc.

According to an inventory presented to the Chief Executive, a total of 2,717 bundles of substandard roofing sheets, 6,100 rolls of substandard cables, 200 pieces of stuffed tyres and 634 cartons of substandard expired cigarettes were seized, awaiting court order and destruction.

The DG stated that as a law-abiding agency, such action requires a court order before destruction can be fully implemented so that everything is done according to due process as stipulated in the SON Act 52 of 2015.

Incensed by the influx of substandard goods into the country, Salim urged consumers to be vigilant when buying items from the market and to report any suspicious product to SON for immediate action to ensure the safety of future consumers.

According to Salim, “We are not excited wasting peoples’ money but we do relish the idea of making sure that substandard goods are out of the market,” he added.

Salimwas accompanied on the inspection site by members of the SON management, including the Chief of Staff to the DG, Prof. Kunle Olobayo, SSA/DG, Chief Emeka Duru, Director, ICD Dr Mrs. Okunlola, D.D ICD, Engr. Enebi Onucheyo, Former SIM Coordinator (now Regional Director Lagos) Mr. Isa Suleiman, Desk Officer Ports and Border, Mr. Sanni Mohammed, among other officials.