Steve Agbota
Customs brokers in the maritime sector said the agency has lost over N20 billion to the influx of substandard goods in the country in the last 10 years.
Speaking yesterday at a one -day Maritime Stakeholders Sensitisation Workshop organised by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Mr. Tony Iju Nwabunike, lamented that customs brokers and freight forwarders operating in the maritime industry have suffered huge losses due to the influx of these fake products that do not meet up with the Nigeria Industrial Standard coming into the country.
According to him, “the result of these illicit products in addition to being injurious to our national economy, also spell doom for Nigeria citizens. ANLCA has taken it upon itself to educate importers on the need for their compliance to safeguard lives and avoid losses emanating from seizures and destruction of fake and substandard goods.
According to him “ Over time, custom brokers have been victims of substandard importations by importers who in some cases failed to disclose to us the actual content or degree of compliance with extant rules like SON Conformity Assessment Programmes, SONCAP. The influx of these illicit products in addition to being injurious to our national economy, also spells doom for our people.