The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed expired sugar and other substandard consumables valued at about N25 million in Kaduna, as part of its ongoing efforts to protect public health and ensure product quality compliance.
The exercise, which took place on Friday at a designated destruction site outside Kaduna metropolis, involved the disposal of 230 bags of expired sugar, alongside soft drinks, milk, tomato pastes, and insecticides that failed safety and quality tests.
The products were seized during SON’s enforcement operations in the North-West region after failing to meet required quality and safety benchmarks.
Deputy Director, North-West Region of SON, Mr Adamu Ahmed, said the destruction was necessary to prevent unsafe products from reaching consumers.
“We are here today to destroy substandard products that did not comply with required standards. Their destruction is to ensure consumers do not unknowingly use items that could endanger their health,” Ahmed stated.
He explained that laboratory tests confirmed that all the 230 bags of sugar had expired and were unsafe for consumption.
“This destruction sends a strong message to manufacturers, importers, and distributors that we will not compromise on quality. These substandard products pose clear danger to consumers,” he said.
Safeguarding consumer confidence
Ahmed further said the confiscation and destruction were outcomes of SON’s rigorous conformity assessment process, designed to identify health risks in consumer goods before they reach the public.
According to him, the agency’s enforcement efforts aim to build consumer trust and ensure only safe, quality-assured products are available in the Nigerian market.
He commended manufacturers and importers who consistently adhere to national standards, while urging others to comply to support a safer and more competitive marketplace.
“This destruction serves as a warning to those dealing in substandard goods. We will not relent in ensuring full compliance with quality specifications,” Ahmed stressed.
What you should know
- Early this year, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) intensified its crackdown on counterfeit and substandard goods, confiscating fake products worth over N20 billion across several sectors.
- The agency carried out the seizures in industries such as LPG gas cylinders, tyres, cables, aluminium roofing sheets, and lubricants, where it also “named and shamed” manufacturers and importers involved in substandard practices.
- SON also seized fake electrical cables and wires worth N30.5 million in Ekiti State after intelligence reports revealed vendors were selling cloned brands to unsuspecting buyers.
