The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) said on Tuesday that it impounded 2,554 substandard goods in Kaduna in 2016. The State Coordinator, Mr Danlami Dotti, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the substandard goods were mopped up during raids across the state. He said that the products impounded include 791 substandard tyres, 513 assorted toiletry treys, 559 shaving sticks, 317 LPG gas cylinders, 293 electric cables and 81 treys of fleet insecticide.
He said that a total of 119 companies had folded up in the state during the period under review from 519 to 400 functional ones. The coordinator explained that only 98 out of the 400 functional factories had NIS and MANCAP certification. Dotti said that 91 of the companies had MANCAP certificate, seven had received the NIS certificate with eight other companies certification process pending.
The SON coordinator said that the organisation had received complaints from five consumers on alleged adulterated products. He said that the complaints were against some beverages and agricultural companies which were discovered to be circulating substandard products.
Datti explained that the complainants were compensated and the affected companies duly sanctioned, adding that one other case was being investigated. “SON is meant to facilitate business not to kill business, we are committed to move out all substandard goods from our markets, ’’ he said. The coordinator disclosed that the organisation would embark on aggressive enforcement and market survey in 2017, in line with its mandate of eliminating substandard products from the Nigerian market.