The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) is currently expanding its cooperation with relevant stakeholders in a bid to drive down spread of substandard products in the country.
In a fresh move the Agency is asking the relationship with the media as it introduced the “Buyers Beware Campaign.”
The Director, of the Public Relations Department, SON, Mrs. Foluso Bolaji, made the call during a courtesy visit of members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) to the SON office in Lagos.
“In the last couple of years, as you also can attest, we have run many of these cartels out of business through seizures, destructions, and even by prosecutions in the court of law.
“But there is still a lot of work to be done because we cannot rest on our oars or become complacent as a result of the modest victories and positive outcomes we have recorded.
“This is why we seek to renew our social contract with you, our media partners, as we focus on the “Buyers Beware Campaign,”, especially in these Ember months and beyond”, she added.
“Studies have shown clearly that the last quarter of the year, specifically from October to December, usually witnesses an upsurge in imports because it coincides with the festive season. These are very perilous times indeed.
” Therefore, we are stepping up advocacy campaigns, carrying out lots of sensitization programmes monitoring and enforcement of fake products, creating media hype around the activities of the SON, and forging better collaboration with our media partners to help drive SON’s zero-tolerance mantra against product counterfeiting across all frontiers.
She urged the media to see the assignment as a national call to service. “So, let’s go beyond the bounds of duty in the discharge of this onerous responsibility.
“It’s an enormous task alright but it’s not beyond any of us here if we put our minds and hearts into it.
Remember, no one can have a sound sleep if the roof over his or her head is on fire. As a collective, let’s join hands together to rid the country of unscrupulous persons and characters that continue to rip us off our collective patrimony.
” All that is required is total commitment and dedication of all, including the media in our collective drive to make our country a haven for all”, Bolaji said.
