The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has called for a collaboration with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to curb the spread of substandard products in Anambra State.
SON’s Head of the Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate for the South-South and South-East regions, Mr. Unuja Ndukwe, made the appeal on Friday in Awka during a visit to the NSCDC Commandant in Anambra, Mr. Olatunde Maku.
Ndukwe emphasized that addressing the proliferation of fake and substandard goods requires robust collaboration and information sharing among government agencies.
“The influx of fake and substandard products into the country can be effectively controlled through strong partnerships and information sharing among relevant government agencies,” he said.
Also speaking, SON’s State Coordinator in Anambra, Mr. Emmanuel Hussaini, lauded the existing cooperation between SON and NSCDC.
He noted that their joint efforts had significantly strengthened the fight against counterfeit products in the state.
“Substandard products not only endanger lives but also threaten the economy.
“The synergy between SON and NSCDC has been instrumental in executing aggressive campaigns and enforcement operations to rid our markets of these harmful products,” Hussaini said.
In response, NSCDC Commandant Maku reaffirmed the corps’ commitment to supporting SON’s regulatory efforts.
He commended SON’s relentless drive to safeguard consumers and pledged NSCDC’s continued collaboration in ensuring that counterfeit products do not infiltrate the marketplace.
“This collaboration reinforces our commitment to protecting consumers and ensuring compliance with quality standards,” Maku stated.
The renewed partnership aims to enhance enforcement operations and public awareness campaigns, ensuring that only standard and certified products reach consumers in Anambra.
Recent onslaught on fake, substandard products
There has been a recent onslaught on counterfeit and substandard products across the country, especially by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
- Nairametrics reported that NAFDAC destroyed expired, falsified, controlled, unregistered, and banned medicines worth an estimated N100 billion earlier this month.
- NAFDAC also recently uncovered a major operation depot dealing in expired and falsified drugs in Abia State.
- A similar hub was uncovered by the agency in Lagos’ Idumota Open Drug Market, where it sealed over 3,000 shops. NAFDAC said it uncovered in the market, vaccines stored in dilapidated, unventilated rooms sealed with iron sheets in highly unsanitary conditions.
Nairametrics reported that as of February 2025, NAFDAC had destroyed counterfeit, expired, and substandard pharmaceuticals such as alcohol, cosmetics, and other products valued at N4.7 billion across Nigeria’s South-South region.
