The growing concerns for the patronage of made–in–Nigeria products under the present administration has seen a renewed vigour on the part of regulatory bodies, namely: the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to achieve that laudable objective. Justifying the need for the synergy of cooperation, the Acting Director-General of SON, Dr. Paul Angya, while addressing news men in Lagos, said, Nigeria has for long been operating what could be termed a “a cargo economy” that is, mainly import- dependent system whereby the country has been spending billions of dollars at the foreign exchange market just to import goods and services from other nations across the world.
Angya who noted that the high rate of consumption of foreign products by end-users and consumers has become so chronic that anything tagged: ‘made-in-Nigeria’ is already dead on arrival at the local market. SON, he said, is expected to ensure compliance via monitoring and enforcement of standards. Insiders within the agency disclosed that the job has never been easy especially given the vastness of the country, coupled with the desperation of economic saboteurs, importers of fake and sub-standard products and other sharp practices within the system.
To this end, the SON boss said he has given notice to importers of products that are available locally to look for something else to do or pack up, maintaining that the country could no longer afford to be a dumping site for all manner of imported products which in turn kill local industries.
