Reject products without e-registration code SON urges Nigerians.

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerians to reject all locally produced and imported products without its electronic-registration code. The Director General of the Organisation, Dr Joseph Odumodu spoke in Sokoto on Wednesday at the opening of a one-day North-West zonal sensitisation seminar and road show on zero-tolerance to sub-standard products.

The seminar was organised by SON in collaboration with the Non-Governmental Organisations Network (NGO-Network) in Nigeria. “The e-registration system was recently introduced by SON to be in tune with current global best practices and all products must carry the e-registration code. Nigerians should also report any complaints to the organisations’ offices spread across 32 states of Nigeria.

“Nigerians also have the right to seek for reparations on any bad or substandard product purchased ranging from vehicles, generators and other household items and appliances, among others,’’ he added.

According to Odumodu, Nigerians were also mortgaging the future of the nation’s youths and economy by refusing to patronise made-in-Nigeria products. The DG stated that Nigerians had for too long ignored standards, adding, “things have not really been moving the way they supposed to.’’

“Most industries in the country had since collapsed because of the patronage of foreign goods by Nigerians.’’ We all do everything humanly possible to ensure that Nigerians were provided with both domestic and foreign products that have met the required international standards.

“Substandard products are slowly killing Nigerians and the time for action to redress the ugly trend is now,’’ Odumodu, appealed. Gov. Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state, who spoke through the commerce commissioner, Alhaji Aliyu Achida commended the organisation for the seminar.

Wammako also stressed the need for all the regulatory agencies to ensure the safety and protection of the lives of Nigerians. The National Coordinator of the NGO-Network, Mr Attah Mohammed said that the seminar was part of the joint efforts to garner nationwide grassroots support for the organisation’s efforts to rid Nigeria of fake and sub-standard products. The seminar was attended by participants from Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina states.