AfCFTA implementation: SON tasks importers on manufacturing

By Miriam Humbe

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerian importers to venture into manufacturing to create greater wealth and job opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youths.
Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, who gave the challenge at a one-day sensitization programme for importers and dealers of electrical and electronics products at the Alaba International market in Lagos, urged the importers to make efforts to establish manufacturing and assembling plants for the products to take optimum advantage of the huge market in Nigeria and the African Continent.
Represented by the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, Engr. Obiora Manafa, the SON Chief Executive said such initiative would save the country huge foreign exchange expenditure and create hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, since most of the imported electronics products can be out rightly manufactured or assembled locally.
He advised the importers to adhere to the requirements of the relevant standards to make their products more competitive, particularly in view of the imminent implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and assured them of SON support towards seamless exportation through adequate conformity assessment programmes.
Aboloma reiterated that electrical and electronics are classified as life-endangering products that can cause loss of lives and properties, urging the leadership of the Electrical Dealers Association to discourage their members from importing and stocking them as patriotic citizens.
According to him, the fight against substandard products is a serious one, which has landed many unscrupulous elements in trouble with the law to serve as deterrent to others, noting that SON has in its warehouse a huge consignment of substandard electric cables awaiting court order to be destroyed. These actions he said, are to reiterate SON’s commitment to bringing down the influx of substandard goods into the country.
Earlier, the President, Alaba International Amalgamated Traders Association and Executive Chairman, Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), Ichie Fabian Ezeorjika commended SON’s integrity, capacity for work and tireless contribution and encouragement toward ensuring that the market stands out as an exemplary market through well guided quality assurance practices.
He called for greater collaboration between SON and the Market leaders to further sanitize the environment while assuring of EDAN’s commitment to self-regulation amongst its members.
SON experts on Product Registration, Ports and Borders operations, Laboratory Services and Inspectorate/Compliance made presentations on the various processes after which an interactive session was held to clarify issues and answer questions from the Alaba International Market operators.