SON urges consumers to expose substandard, fake products

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has called on Nigerians  to report manufacturers and dealers in  substandard products  to the appropriate authorities.

The Director-General of the organisation, Mallam Farouk Salim, made the call to mark  the 50th  anniversary and exhibition of Mandatory Conformity Assesment Programme MANCAP certified products in Kano on  Tuesday.

He said the call became necessary to ensure that substandard products that were either  locally manufactured or  imported,  were  apprehended and sanctioned.

“Nigerians should know that standard products are very important,” he said.

“SON is working with National Assembly to review our acts, where people who produce substandard goods will be charged to court,” he said.

He explained that Kano State  produced  rice in commercial quantity, saying  without the National Rice Policy, rice mills would not have sprang up nationwide.

“One of the laudable achievements  we have recorded is  the establishment of Halal Institute in Kano, which has trained traders and manufacturers on best way of doing things,” he said.

The Director explained that  industries could enroll their employees in the centre to be train on management and coached on how to  produce  standard products.

He called on companies in the state to report anyone who counterfeited   their products to enforcement section of the organisation.

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje said the organisation had contributed immensely towards  boosting the  economic fortunes of the state through different innovative activities.

Ganduje, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Ibrahim Mukhtar, said Kano was the  commercial nerve centre of Africa, hence the need to expose the manufacturers on modern manufacturing.

NAN reports that relevant stakeholders and manufacturing  companies were at  the celebration.