Determined to sanitise the country, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has confiscated and destroyed fake and substandard products worth over N20 billion.

Its Director-General, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, disclosed this during a sensitisation campaign and stakeholders’ engagement in Kano. While reiterating the agency’s commitment to safeguarding the health of citizens and quality assurance, the DG insisted that no effort would be spared to track down unwholesome activities.

He said the organisation had made massive seizures of LPG cylinders, tyres, cables, aluminium roofing sheets and lubricants, where it ‘named and shamed’ unpatriotic manufacturers, importers and dealers.

Besides the destruction of the fake products, the SON boss, represented by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Talatu Ethan, hinted at the intention to prosecute the suspects.

Okeke stressed that the essence of the campaign was to sensitise stakeholders on their roles to support the Federal Government in upscaling the standardisation of locally manufactured and imported products.

He said: “Concerning our monitoring and enforcement activities, let me tell you that for this year alone, we beamed, sustained searchlight on some sectors where there have been sharp practices and short-changing of product end-users.

“We carried out massive seizures in sectors such as LPG Gas Cylinders, tyres, cables, aluminium roofing sheets and lubricants, among others. In the lubricants sub-sector, for instance, we have decided to ‘name and shame’ sub-standard lubricants manufacturers, importers and dealers.”

Okeke appealed to stakeholders, including licensed travel agencies and manufacturers, to partner with the agency to curb the prevalence of sub-standard products in the country.

He posited that unprecedented integration of SON’s e-certificates and services into the Nigeria Integrated Customs Services (NICIS) requires commensurate responses from stakeholders for effective enlightenment and campaign.