SON urges lubricant dealers to leverage on auto market

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has charged stakeholders in the lubricant industry to leverage on the opportunities the industry offers while also producing to international best practices.

Osita Aboloma, the Director General, SON, who gave the charge at a meeting with Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN) in Lagos explained that the development came on the heels of the Federal Government’s quest to diversify the economy.

“Lubricants and allied products are critical to boost Nigeria’s industrialisation drive”, the DG stressed.

“The Nigerian government introduced the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) in 2003 to revitalise the auto industry. Nigeria, having being identified as a future automotive hub for the sub region courtesy of its large economy, it is expected that resuscitating this sector would open fresh investment opportunities in the automobile value chain while also creating employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youth’’, he stated.

Assuring LUPAN of required support as much as possible, the Director General, also read riot acts to unscrupulous dealers who indulge in the act of faking and adulterating established and successful brands to cheat the Nigerian consumer

SON will not sit back and watch some unscrupulous people threaten the lives of the industry. We will not sit down and watch these people pull down the investment of genuine manufacturers or importers. As long as you are law abiding, we will be there to protect you”, he said.

He explained that the meeting with LUPAN was to re-strategise to improve on the way things are done in the industry, adding that developing the nation’s lubricant industry was critical as it serves as the lifeblood for powering the economy.

“We see your services as life threatening and life endangering services. The effect of your product is far reaching and we cannot industrialise without your products. You are formidable partners and stakeholders in the Nigerian project. Just like every other sector of the economy, we have a couple of bad eggs and this is part of the reasons we called this meeting to call them to order. We have also keyed into the government’s mantra of ease of doing business. In other words, we are now expected to create the enabling environment for the ease of doing genuine business, and in doing that we are not unmindful that some people will engage in criminality,” he said.

“What we are trying to do is to isolate criminality from genuine business men. In doing our business, we must understand that standardisation and ease of doing business do not include criminality, faking and adulteration of certified products, because these are despicable things that we are not proud of. This is why we are partnering with the stakeholders in the industry to work as a team and also fashion a way forward. We must imbibe international practice to sanitise this industry”, Aboloma added:

He implored stakeholders to support SON in its quest to rid Nigeria of substandard products, urging them to always consult SON for the minimum requirement of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) in a bid to produce in line with global best practices.

Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Mustapha Ado, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ammasco International Limited, , expressed the association’s commitment to work with SON to sanitise the industry.

He said the industry is faced with some challenges ranging from adulteration and faking of established brands in the country, adding the stakeholders are ready to collaborate with SON to address the issues headlong.

“We want you to come in to support us so that we can invest more and even attract foreign direct investment into the industry. We currently employ more than 2000 people in my company imagine if we can have 10 of such factories in the country, it would go a long way to reduce youth unemployment in the country, “he added.