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The Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) and stakeholders in the maritime industry have predicted that it would be difficult to enjoy the dividends of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) without the presence of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at the nation’s ports.
The stakeholders explained that SON should be at the port to check the quality and standards of goods coming into the country.
They argued that SON should have a role in checking the quality and standards of these products before they can be allowed into the country.
The stakeholder said at the inauguration of the powerful pen media chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalism (NUJ) in Lagos. The president, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said the ECOWAS treaty and AFCFTA agreement Nigeria signed into would make country borderless.
According to him, these agreements would enable products from Europe and Asia repackaged and shipped into neighbouring countries with Nigeria being the final destination.
In his words, “The AfCFTA we signed will allow for free movement of goods into the country, but if we really understand the essence of SON, the matter of quality and standardisation of products as the key role to be discussed in the agreement, then we must know why SON has to be at the point of entry. Today, SON is not at the ports, so how will they be effective and we also know that the ECOWAS treaty we signed into effect are failing because products coming from the European and Asian markets are repackaged into neighbouring countries to be brought into Nigeria.
“This is why SON is worried and I want to believe that if we are being honest in what we are doing, SON must be brought back to the port immediately and returning back to the port has nothing to do with issues inhibiting seamless operations at the port.
‘So the presence of SON at the port will only add value such as putting faces to the owners of consignments Know Your Customer (KYC).” Also speaking at the event, Publisher and Editor in Chief, Mega Splash Magazine who also doubles as the Chairman, Powerful Pen Media Chapel, Alhaji Tunde Daniel, said whatever policy that ordered SON out of the ports was wrong, saying that life is all about standards.
