CSO exposes shocking details about fake products in Nigeria

A civil society organisation, Integrity Advocacy for Development Initiative (IADI), has urged Nigerians to remain vigilant against the growing circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in local markets across the country.

The call was made by the Executive Director of IADI, Mr Ofomhi Christopher, during a news conference held on Friday in Abuja. He encouraged citizens to make use of available reporting channels and to support initiatives aimed at strengthening quality assurance and public safety.

Christopher explained that the briefing was part of the organisation’s mandate to promote transparency, accountability and informed public discourse within Nigeria’s regulatory environment.

He noted that the engagement also served as a feedback session following IADI’s recent meeting with the management of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at its Abuja headquarters.

According to him, the engagement was initiated to gain clarity on persistent public concerns over the prevalence of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigerian markets, as well as to better understand the operational challenges facing the regulatory agency.

“Today’s briefing represents a civil responsibility to present verified information arising from that engagement, in the interest of consumers, manufacturers and the general public,” Christopher said.

He disclosed that during the meeting, SON management, led by Mr Manji Lawal, Special Assistant (Strategy) to the Director-General, provided detailed briefings on enforcement strategies, prosecution efforts and institutional reforms being implemented to improve regulatory effectiveness.

Christopher said SON explained that its enforcement framework had been decentralised to enhance responsiveness across states, while digital monitoring tools and real-time reporting platforms had been deployed to improve field supervision and accountability.

He added that SON revealed it had sealed more than 18 steel manufacturing companies found to be producing non-compliant steel products, following structured monitoring and compliance assessments.

The CSO further disclosed that SON presented records of concluded and ongoing prosecutions involving engine oil adulteration, cable rebranding, sugar adulteration in Kano State and the production of unhygienic sachet water. According to Christopher, the agency has also obtained 20 court orders for the seizure and destruction of harmful and substandard products.

He noted that SON highlighted 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), a system designed to enable consumers to independently verify the authenticity of products.

Christopher also outlined systemic challenges identified by SON, including the absence of its personnel at Nigerian ports, numerous unmanned borders that facilitate illegal inflows, manpower shortages and statutory revenue remittance obligations that limit operational flexibility.

Despite these challenges, he said SON emphasised the availability of toll-free consumer complaint lines and its participation in the National Single Window initiative to improve coordination among regulatory and border management agencies.

“The disclosures by SON are significant as they provide important context often missing from public discussions on standards enforcement in Nigeria,” Christopher said, adding that while public concerns remain valid, effective accountability is best served through access to accurate and verifiable information.

He acknowledged the efforts of the SON Director-General, noting that IADI recognised measurable enforcement actions, institutional adjustments and stakeholder engagement initiatives achieved within just over one year of his appointment.