The President of Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA), Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, Lagos, Ngozi Emechebe, said the association frowns at the distribution of fake parts in the country and collaborates with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to fight against it.
He made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the recent West Africa Automotive Show (WAAS), in Lagos.
Speaking on the topic, ‘The Challenge of Substandard Parts in the Market’ the President said: “At the ASPAMDA market in Lagos, we do not tolerate the distribution of fake parts as our members are well informed and enlightened to avoid dealings in fake parts.
“To tell you how serious we are against the distribution of fake parts within our market, we have partnered with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) who facilitate periodic seminars against fake parts.
“We have also provided a permanent office to SON inside our market, where full-time SON personnel are stationed, working with us in this regard.
“Let me seize this opportunity to commend SON for its relentless fight against fake parts in Nigeria.
“I also want to call on other auto parts markets in Nigeria to emulate the example of ASPAMDA in its partnership with SON. However, I call on the Federal Government to boost the capacity of SON so that it can expand its operations in fighting this scourge in Nigeria.
“The fight against production and selling of fake auto spare parts must be seen as a collective responsibility. All stakeholders must therefore collaborate to expose those engaged in the criminal act and severely punish the criminals.”
Expressing delight at the choice of the topic, he said: “The choice of the topic for this year is apt. The issue is very important because the challenges posed by fake parts not only affect the industry, but the economy in general, and the well-being of the country.
“The issue of fake parts is one that I am very concerned about because it has been discussed in many other conferences before now and it is still a relevant topic even after so many years of discussion.
“Fake auto parts are counterfeit or unauthorised reproduction of parts made to look like genuine parts, but often with inferior quality. Fake parts may cost significantly less than the genuine parts, but they are often unreliable and potentially dangerous.”
Recalling that the issue has been around for a very long time, the President explained that: “In Nigeria, the issue of fakery is not new as there is hardly any industry or sector that is not challenged by the faking of original products.
