Abuja: The Civil Society Organisation, Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative (IADI), has called on Nigerians to remain vigilant against counterfeit and substandard products in local markets. Mr. Ofomhi Christopher, Executive Director of IADI, made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Friday, urging citizens to utilise reporting channels and support initiatives that strengthen quality assurance and public safety.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the news conference was convened to further the CSO’s mandate to promote transparency, accountability, and public discourse within Nigeria’s government and regulatory environment. Christopher explained that the briefing also served as a feedback session following the CSO’s engagement with the management of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at its Abuja headquarters.
The engagement aimed to address persistent public concerns regarding the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigerian markets and to better understand the operational realities confronting the agency. Christopher emphasized that the briefing represented a civil responsibility to present verified information arising from that engagement, in the interest of consumers, manufacturers, and the general public.
During the meeting, SON’s management, led by Mr. Manji Lawal, Special Assistant (Strategy) to the Director-General, provided detailed briefings on enforcement mechanisms and prosecution efforts. The CSO reported that the agency outlined institutional reforms and systemic challenges affecting regulatory effectiveness.
Key information disclosed included SON’s decentralised enforcement framework to improve responsiveness across states and the deployment of digital monitoring tools, including real-time reporting platforms, to enhance supervision and accountability of field officers. SON also revealed that over 18 steel manufacturing companies producing non-compliant steel products have been sealed, based on structured monitoring and compliance assessments.
Christopher stated that SON presented records of concluded and ongoing prosecutions involving engine oil adulteration, cable rebranding, sugar adulteration in Kano State, and unhygienic sachet water production. The agency disclosed that 20 court orders have been obtained for the seizure and destruction of harmful and substandard products.
Furthermore, SON outlined its collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on the Product Authentication Mark (PAM), which is designed to enable consumers to independently verify the authenticity of products in the marketplace.
Christopher noted systemic challenges limiting regulatory outcomes, including the absence of SON personnel at Nigerian ports, numerous unmanned borders facilitating illicit inflows, manpower shortages, and statutory revenue remittance obligations that constrain operational flexibility. He added that SON highlighted toll-free consumer complaint lines and participation in the National Single Window initiative to improve coordination among regulatory and border management agencies.
The disclosures by SON provide important context often absent from public discussion on standard enforcement in Nigeria. Public concerns regarding substandard products remain valid and pressing, with effective accountability best served by access to complete, accurate, and verifiable information. Christopher acknowledged the efforts of the SON Director-General, noting that IADI recognized the measurable enforcement actions, institutional adjustments, and stakeholder engagement initiatives achieved within just over one year of his appointment.
Christopher reaffirmed that IADI would maintain its independence and continue to engage public institutions critically, objectively, and transparently.