Nigeria’s growing demand for lower-priced baby care products is encouraging the influx of lower-quality infant products into the market, raising concerns over product standards, import dependence and slow development of local manufacturing.

Speaking with The Guardian, the Chief Executive Officer of Babies N’ Stuffs, Abimide Rasheed, said many importers prioritise lower prices over quality, noting that manufacturers simply produce goods according to buyers’ specifications.

She argued that the trend highlights the need for greater investment in local manufacturing to improve product standards and reduce reliance on imports.

“The manufacturers do not decide the quality for us. They produce exactly what buyers request. If an importer asks for a cheaper product with lower specifications, that is what will be supplied. If we insist on higher standards, they can deliver that too,” she said.

Rasheed, who has spent more than two decades in the baby products business, said Nigeria’s retail market remained heavily dependent on imported baby products despite growing demand for safer and higher-quality alternatives.

According to her, limited domestic manufacturing has slowed the development of locally made products that can compete with established foreign brands.

“Nigeria has a large market for baby products, but we are still relying heavily on imports. We need to begin investing in production if we want to improve quality and reduce that dependence,” she said.

She said expanding local manufacturing would not only reduce import dependence but also create jobs and strengthen the industry’s long-term growth, adding that her company is exploring opportunities to begin local production.

“Local manufacturing is not something that will happen overnight, but businesses have to start making those investments if we want to build sustainable brands and create jobs,” she added.

She also challenged the perception that factories are solely responsible for poor-quality products, explaining that manufacturers in Asia produce goods based on the standards requested by their customers.

“People often assume poor-quality products come from the factory, but the reality is that factories manufacture according to the buyer’s specifications. Quality depends largely on what is ordered,” she said.

According to her, the same manufacturers supplying products to Europe and America can produce goods of similar quality for the Nigerian market if importers are willing to pay for higher specifications rather than focusing mainly on lower costs.

She urged businesses and investors to prioritise local production, quality assurance and brand development, arguing that stronger domestic manufacturing would reduce the country’s dependence on imports while positioning Nigerian-made products to compete in regional and international markets.

Rasheed also called for greater consumer awareness, saying increased demand for certified, quality products would encourage importers and manufacturers to raise production standards.

She maintained that building trusted brands requires sustained investment, consistency and a commitment to quality.