The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), has said that the electrical and electronics market in Nigeria has been a source of serious concern to the organization due to the high rate of importation of substandard and counterfeited products, which must be checked to give citizens value for their money.

Its Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, who said this recently, noted that the electric light market in Nigeria today was filled with more of substandard products, especially lamps of different types, adding that a normal incandescent lamp was expected to have a minimum life of 1000 hours, but stressed that according to laboratory results, the measured life of these lamps averages between 200 to 480 hours

According to him, the organization, which had  commenced immediate enforcement   and seizure of substandard electrical bulbs and lamps in the markets would henceforth  go   to the various markets and seize any sub-standard bulbs or lamps in the markets, adding that any product found below standard would be seize and destroyed immediately.

He directed that all the lamps and bulbs sold in the marked must be registered immediately, remarking that test carried out on 72 lamps of 34 brands revealed that  44 out of 72 failed efficacy test, while three out of 72 failed initial torson test and over 80 per cent of lamps tested did not  declare the power factor of the lamp. He regretted that consumers  were being short changed through the sales of substandard lamp thereby denying them value for money.

“The  need to sanitize the electric lamp market cannot be over emphasized considering the cost of replacing substandard lamp and the need to ensure that consumers are not  exposed to danger of  intolerable level of mercury after use and disposal. This measure you will agree with me  also is in your interest as a consumer of he product, I solicit your support o achieve SON policy on zero tolerance for substandard product in Nigeria,” he said.

He disclosed that SON had set up well equipped  laboratory for testing of different types of lamps through the assistance of the United Nations Development Program me (UNDP), adding that the equipment has the capacity  to test parameters including luminance, efficacy, wattage , lumens maintenance and torson.

He announced the organization’s resolve to commence dissemination of failed products through the print and electronic media, saying that the information would clearly state the name of importer, address and brand name, with all the attendant penalties.

The Head, Electrical and Electronics Department of SON, Mr Ricahrd Adewunmi, said Nigeria was shifting to energy saving lamp, hence, there was need to sanitize the sector so as  encourage the end users.

He said any lamp or bulb being imported should have all the information clearly stated on it, adding that they must meet the standard. He added that there should be a one year warranty on the products.

One of the importers who is also the Managing Director, AD Marvelous Lighten Company, Mr Arinze Asiegbu said most of these substandard products comes from China, adding that these products are being sold in large numbers, a development that had been affecting the sales of the original products.