By Felix Khanoba
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says it would discourage the registration of any product that has a similar business name with an existing brand.
The Director-General of SON, Farouk Salim, who stated this during a courtesy visit to the Organisation’s office by the Alaba International Market Associations, said those hiding under the names of successful brands to short-change unsuspecting consumers will also have their products’ names not registered.
“The issue of cloning brands cannot be handled alone by SON, but going forward, we are going to audit the products we register and certify. “Anytime a new product comes and looks similar to another registered product that is already popular in the market, we will try to discourage the registration of that product with such a name, so that other products would be identified properly.
“This will increase traceability of products not yet in circulation,” he said. Speaking further, the SON boss announced plans to increase its level of engagement with stakeholders in the country, noting that the move would help protect the interest of the business community while also safeguarding lives and property.
He said the standards body would work with stakeholders to sensitize the business community on the need to ensure safety and standards, warning that unscrupulous individuals would be prosecuted.
“We are here to work with them and to make their job easy while also to protect their interest because they are Nigerians employing people and they are doing what needs to be done.
“We are looking forward to cooperating with them to ensure that every other individual in their association not doing the right thing is encouraged to doing the right thing in the future, ” Salim said.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman, Electrical Dealers Association of Nigeria (EDAN), Fabian Ezeorjika, said there is an already existing partnership with SON to achieve a substandard-free market.
He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to working with SON to fish out the bad eggs in the market, saying that the association had formed a joint task force comprising of SON officials and currently running a “buyer beware campaign” in the market.
