Coleman Technical Industries Limited has urged the government to take tougher action against manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit and substandard cables in Nigeria. The company's Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, stated that confiscating and destroying fake cables without prosecuting those behind their production and distribution would not deter the growing counterfeiting business.
Onafowokan made the call while responding to questions from journalists after a media tour of Coleman's factories in Sagamu, Ogun State. He challenged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen its enforcement and prosecution efforts, questioning the number of counterfeit cable manufacturers and distributors that had been successfully prosecuted by the regulator.
The Coleman CEO alleged that SON sometimes places greater emphasis on charging manufacturers for testing their cables than on working with other relevant agencies to prosecute counterfeiters. He cited the activities of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) against counterfeit pharmaceutical products as an example of a more aggressive enforcement approach.
Onafowokan warned that the consequences of substandard cables went beyond economic losses to manufacturers, stressing that the products could trigger electrical fires and endanger lives. He disclosed that Coleman had been working with the Nigeria Police Force, including the office of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, to identify and prosecute cable counterfeiters.
According to Onafowokan, counterfeit cables remained attractive to criminals because of the wide margin between production costs and selling prices. He explained that some substandard cables could contain 30 to 40 per cent less material by length, enabling counterfeiters to make excessive profits while exposing consumers to serious safety risks.
Coleman Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, said SON had a critical responsibility to create an environment in which genuine manufacturers could compete on the basis of quality while counterfeiters were effectively removed from the market. He urged SON to intensify its surveillance, enforcement and prosecution activities against local manufacturers of fake cables.
The renewed call by Coleman comes amid concerns over the safety implications of substandard electrical products and their impact on local manufacturers investing heavily in modern production facilities and quality-control systems. The company maintained that stronger enforcement, effective prosecution and tougher sanctions were necessary to protect consumers, safeguard lives and create a level playing field for manufacturers that comply with Nigerian standards.
Key points
- Coleman Technical Industries Limited is demanding stiffer penalties, including imprisonment, for manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit and substandard cables in Nigeria.
- The company's Managing Director, George Onafowokan, urged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to strengthen its enforcement and prosecution efforts against counterfeit cable manufacturers and distributors.
- Coleman is working with the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to identify and prosecute cable counterfeiters, and is awaiting the conclusion of a case that could result in the first conviction and jail term for cable adulteration in Nigeria.
