The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), by the enabling Act No 14 of 2015, is mandated to register and certify products for retail in Nigeria.
SON is therefore implementing a Product Authentication Mark (PAM) from January to ensure the authenticity and traceability of products certified to have met the requirements of the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards or other approved specifications in Nigeria.
Imported products certified to SONCAP/Registered with SON (Product Registration) must have the Product Authentication Mark before placement on the retail market.
The PAM Scheme is in the collective interest of importers and consumers. It will ensure the quality of products offered to consumers in Nigeria and overcome the negative effect of faking, cloning, and counterfeiting, particularly on certified products.
PAM Scheme will provide an online platform for consumers to directly authenticate the validity of certified products before purchase and thus have value for their money. It will also assure genuine importers of their products on market sale. Without patronage, substandard, fake, cloned, and counterfeited products would have no market for their products.
Importers are advised to apply and acquire the PAM stickers from SON. Each sticker costs ₦3.00.
Importers whose products are certified to SONCAP/Registered with SON shall apply for the issuance of PAM stickers by completing an application form online on the SONPAM Website.
For goods not accompanied by the product certificate, destination inspection and the test report used to clear the goods at the point of entry will form the basis of issuance of PAM stickers, and the importer will be required to complete an application form online.
For licensed products, i.e., Product Certificate 3 (Route C of the SONCAP program), the importer shall apply for the issuance of PAM stickers providing half-year estimated quantities of licensed products expected to be imported into Nigeria pay for the same.
Importers shall pay for PAM stickers required for all the retail units certified during submission. Application for PAM stickers must be submitted before SON’s final clearance of goods from the port of entry.
Manufacturers with MANCAP-certified products may apply (voluntarily) for issuance of PAM stickers by completing an application form online on the SONPAM website, with details of information on the certified products before the production of every batch.
The PAM sticker shall be fixed on the retail unit of the certified product. In case sticking the PAM on the retail unit is not possible, the mark shall be affixed on a package containing two or more retail units, provided the retail cost of a single unit is not more than ₦50.00.
Any person or corporate body that affixes a PAM sticker on a product not authorized to bear the mark (uncertified product) is liable for criminal action in accordance with the SON Act 14 of 2015.
Read the official newspaper advert for PAM HERE.
Click HERE to find more information on the Product Authentication Mark.
