A Chinese company operating in Nigeria has been sealed off by a special task force of the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) over an alleged illegal operation in the country. The company — Aokete Lighting Electronics Ltd — was accused of forgery.
Here’s what happened: The company which is located in Kirikiri Industrial Estate in Apapa, Lagos, was said to have been engaged in trade malpractices, importation, and distribution of substandard AKT bulbs from China in the country.
This was recently disclosed in Abuja by Amb. Chijioke Okoro, the acting Director-General of IMAN Special Taskforce.
More Infractions: The company was also accused of operating without previously registering its business with IMAN. According to the Director, the Chinese company was “brazenly doing its business in the country without registering with IMAN.”
The company is operating on a counterfeited trademark. He further explained that the counterfeited trademark license the company is operating on is owned and registered by Niger Shine Industry Ltd which is located at Alaba International Market, Ojo, also in Lagos.
Niger Shine Industry Ltd registered D&B AKT Energy bulb, the original trademark with RTM No. 99900 and certificate No. 004154 which Aokete allegedly counterfeited.
The Aokete Ltd has broken the laws guiding the IMAN: The task force leader went further to explain that the Chinese company managed to circumvent the extant law regulating the operations of businesses in Nigeria “with the sole purpose of widening its surplus value to the detriment of the nation and the consumers.” This amount to economic sabotage that flouts the policy and programmes of the Federal Government.
The Ministry of Trade and Investment disclosed that Aokete Lighting Electronics Industries Ltd merely approached them for issuance of a certificate of registration in respect of the AKT trademark.
