10 hours ago
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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed over 230 bags of expired sugar and other substandard consumables valued at about ₦25 million in Kaduna, as part of efforts to protect public health and ensure product quality.
The destroyed items included soft drinks, milk, tomato paste, insecticides, and other expired or unsafe products seized during enforcement operations across the North-West region.
Speaking during the exercise at a designated destruction site outside the Kaduna metropolis, Mr. Adamu Ahmed, SON’s Deputy Director for the North-West Region, said the products failed to meet the agency’s quality and safety standards. “We are here today to destroy substandard products that did not comply with required standards. Their destruction is to ensure consumers do not unknowingly use items that could endanger their health,”
Ahmed said.
He explained that all the 230 bags of sugar had expired and failed laboratory conformity tests, making them unsafe for public consumption.
Ahmed added that the operation aligns with SON’s mandate to safeguard lives through standardisation and quality assurance. “This destruction sends a strong message to manufacturers, importers, and distributors that we will not compromise on quality.These substandard products pose clear danger to consumers,” he stated.
He noted that the confiscation followed SON’s rigorous conformity assessment process, stressing that the agency would continue to enforce compliance to build consumer confidence and protect the Nigerian market.
Ahmed commended the collaboration of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, NSCDC, NESREA, Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA), and the Kaduna State Government for their support.
Also speaking, Mr. Hena Dangari, State Coordinator of NESREA, praised SON’s consistency in safeguarding consumers from unsafe goods. “This exercise demonstrates effective inter-agency collaboration to protect public health and the environment,” Dangari said, urging Nigerians to report suspicious products to regulatory authorities.
He also cautioned against the continued use of single-use plastics, describing them as major contributors to environmental degradation, flooding, and erosion.
Dangari said NESREA is working with other regulatory bodies to enforce the national ban on single-use plastics in both public and private offices. Similarly, Mr. Yahya Victor, General Manager of KEPA, represented by Mrs. Thelma Peters, applauded SON for involving state agencies in its operations.
“We share the same mission of protecting public health, ensuring safety, and promoting environmental sustainability,” Victor said.
He reaffirmed KEPA’s commitment to continued collaboration with SON and other environmental agencies to ensure a cleaner and safer Kaduna.
SON destroys N25m worth of expired sugar, substandard goods in Kaduna
