ICT Traders Castigate SON over Frequent Raids on Market

For two days, traders at the Nigeria’s popular computer village watched with trepidation as a joint operating team of police and standard organization of Nigeria (SON) enforcers raided their market carting away goods worth millions of dollars. Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report that by last weekend, the traders most who were seen talking in hush-hush tones were still licking their wounds from the surprise raids. Last Friday when Nigeria CommunicationsWeek visited the Computer Village most traders were unanimous in their condemnation of the latest raids on operators at the market. This is perhaps West Africa’s largest informal/formal ICT open market incorporating mobile phones, PCs and electronic appliances. It was an uncharacteristic move by SON that took the traders unaware, but the organization expressed satisfaction over its action. The raids which took place on Friday, 24 and Monday, 28 February respectively follow on the heels of similar visit by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) a week earlier. The NCC accused mobile phone vendors of marketing devices not tested by relevant authorities. KenXinDa Mobile phone brand located in more than three premises within computer village was the primary target. KenXinDa is promoted by Nigerians whose trade name is deliberately coined to appear and sound Chinese to attract patronage. The devices are custom-manufactured in factories in mainland China and shipped to Nigeria. The firm recently took possession of some premises in the market and given them an outdoor make-over that paid off with huge patronage from consumers who are eagerly searching for cheap and functional smartphones. A SON statement said it was part of its avowed mission to rid the markets of sub-standard products. “We have a mandate to survey markets to identify substandard products and proactively respond to complaints sent to our enforcement unit,” said Joseph Odumodu, director general of the organization. Officials of both firms refused to speak when Nigeria CommunicationsWeek visited last week. Other traders at the markets maintain stoic silence for fear of another surprise visitation from the regulator. “Do you think my interest is to talk to media people? I’m talking of losing millions of dollars investment here to NCC and you want to talk to me?” an angry official of G-Tide reacts to our inquiry. Kingsley Uchenna, a mobile phone vendor at the market castigated SON for the dawn raid. “SON has never come to our aid in this market but they would remember to seal off offices of hardworking Nigerians. How much help has the Nigerian government given to the unemployed graduates in this country? The government should think of positive ways of affecting Nigerians than coming to destroy private investment,” Uchenna enthused. Madu Ezechi, a trader on used PCs said they were constantly being harassed by various agencies of government, without assistance from these government functionaries. “It is either the Lagos state government will come here and threatens us, or standard organization of Nigeria (SON) will come seize goods here labeling them fake or sub-standards. Last week was the turn of NCC whose duty is to regulate mobile operators. Let them come here and help us improve our business operations,” Ezechi said. The standard organization of Nigeria had also raided the computer village last October over what it term ‘killer’ appliances being sold at the market. This led to the signing of a MoU between SON and the traders union – association of phones and computer allied (APCA) – in November 2011. This latest raid may not be unconnected with SON’s mission to “establishment of reliable information on quantity, quality, source and origin of products/services manufactured in and/or imported into Nigeria. This involves all products/services available in the Nigerian economic environment.” KenXinDa Mobile has been accused of stocking range of 17 models of mobile devices that are not type-approved in Nigeria.