The Nigerian Senate took a stand against the trafficking of counterfeit products into the country on Wednesday, passing a measure prohibiting the practice on its second reading during plenary.
This was said in a statement by Ezrel Tabiowo, the Special Assistant on Press to the President of the Senate, headed “Nigeria: Senate moves against fake goods importation”.
Ibikunle Amosun, who represents Ogun Central, sponsored the bill, dubbed “Counterfeit Goods Bill 2021”.
Among the fake items that would be forbidden are counterfeit and pirated currency, clothes, consumer electronics, automobile components, medications, meals and beverages, and chemicals.
“It [the bill] simplifies the process of laying complaints by persons interested in protected goods that are counterfeited and provides an enhanced enforcement capacity,” Sen Amosun said.
“The bill also provides for administration of criminal investigation; and seeks to make prosecution a lot less cumbersome so as to provide effective control of counterfeit goods in the country.
“While the Customs Service is further empowered to check and control imported counterfeit goods, the police is given the power to demand information for efficient crime prevention and prosecution.”
Following deliberation, Senate President Ahmad Lawan forwarded the bill to the Committee on Trade and Investments for further legislative action. The committee was allowed four weeks to submit its findings to the house in a plenary session.
The only stringent remedy to the importation of counterfeit products into Nigeria, is for the country go into/ sponsor productions high quality goods and services that can stand international standards and competitions at very good comparative prices at local levels.
It’s very wrong to readily ban basic goods and services without comparative alternatives. If high quality goods and services abound in the country, anyone importing substandard products will be at the loosing end for obvious reasons:
(1). Better qualities and varieties abound locally; and
(2). Comparative cheaper prices for the supposed local standard products will automatically terminate substandard imported products.
Nigerian government and legislative Arms should plan well for Nigerians. These are matters economic forces. Faith/laws without good works are death and failures that we are all complaining about, so. May Almighty God help Nigeria!
These are fundamental issues swept under the carpet. Let’s mop up our Nigerian economic systems. Time is now!