A report on the quality of Nigerian products, especially consumer goods, has indicted the nations manufacturing firms of deliberately churning out substandard products in order to enhance their competitiveness and survival in the economy.The report, a product of a six-month survey by an indigenous marketing research organisation, MarketPlus Products Services, titled, Declining Product and Quality Trend in Nigerian Manufacturing Sector, said only 15 per cent of locally manufactured goods met the expected standards. Conversely, the report said 85 per cent of locally manufactured consumer goods were found to be of inferior quality, compared with what obtained for similar products in neighbouring countries.The Managing Director, MarketPlus Products Services, Dr. Remos Paschal, who disclosed this in an exclusive chat with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday.The report, which adopted a survey stratum that bench-marked products quality assessment on popular brands and comparative standards in the neighbouring countries, revealed that the same or similar products in Nigeria failed the quality test and opinion ratings by consumers.Paschal, who described this as a preview of a full-scale report based on general survey, said the report specifically indicted products and popular brands manufactured by big multinationals operating in the country. He stressed that "what they manufacture for the various neighbouring countries markets in the sub-region, including Ghana, Senegal and Cote dIvoire, among others are, superior to similar products and brands meant for the Nigerian market or manufactured in Nigeria."He said, "At the end of the six months of a four-country survey (covering Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cote dIvoire), it became clear that most of the leading manufacturers in Nigeria are not adhering to standards in terms of quality of their products. Mostly guilty are those in consumer goods manufacturing, except for Nigerian manufactured pharmaceuticals products which were found to be of equal, or sometimes, higher standards."While we do not claim to be experts in all areas, as a marketing research body, our main focus was on why Nigerians prefer to buy products made in the neighbouring countries to the neglect of Nigerian made alternatives. We found this in textiles and consumables like beverages, seasonings and leather products. We explored this focus, and the results were damning. Of course, Nigerians know this. So, what the report has revealed is not strange to consumers."Very soon, the full report will be out."According to him, the report revealed deliberate cut down in formulae, additives and vital elements. He said the result showed widespread compromise in quality decline, which perceptive consumers could even detect through taste (for the edibles) and strength tests (for wears)."The survey provided an eye opener on the level of enabling policies in these countries, which are anti-substandard (products) quality. The supervisory agencies in the countries are effective, despite the fact that they have little to do because of the overriding awareness on quality," he added.Paschal, therefore, challenged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control to verify the reports claims. He said although the agencies had been working on other segments of the manufacturing sector, "the apparent over sight as regards consumer goods is something of a great concern."It will be recalled that SON had recently engaged importers of some made-for-Nigeria products, including electronics, aluminium roofing sheets and other products, among others, in a series of dialogue and ultimatum-setting meetings, with a view to ridding the sectors of substandard products.In the last few years, locally manufactured consumer goods in the country have been given a blanket pass mark, contrary to the reports finding.
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