By Blessing Odega
NAN-H-4
Campaign
Jos, Nov. 11, 2016 (NAN) The Plateau office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) had held sensitisation programmes in 16 secondary schools in the last two months on how they could identify sub-standard products.
The Coordinator, Mr Musa George, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Friday that the pupils and students of primary and secondary schools were taught how to identify sub-standard goods.
“We have shared the relevant information with some primary and secondary schools visited.
“We have embarked on aggressive campaigns against sub-standard products and have chosen to start from educational institutions,” George said.
“We want them to understand and appreciate the detriments inherent in purchasing and consuming sub-standard products.
“We also want them to know how they could educate their peers and even their parents or guardians.
“We have been educating pupils and students on the need to ensure that every product purchased meets certified standards.
“Every product must be certified safe and of standard; that is the only way to qualify for being sold in the Nigerian markets,” he said.
George said that the sensitisation of schools has become urgent to prevent the alarming rate at which the country is being used as a dump site for sub-standard goods from other countries, he said.
According to him, such goods are harmful to the people.
“The main mandate of SON is to ensure that all manufactured products complied with standards prior to their introduction to the market.
“We shall continue to pursue that mandate aggressively,” he said
George, however, said that the Solomon Lar University, Bokkos, chosen as the pilot tertiary institution in the state for the exercise had not granted its approval to SON.
He said that the authorities of the university were yet to respond to the organisation’s correspondence. (NAN)
UBO/ECN/PAD
=============
Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye, controlled by Peter Dada