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Inspectorate & Compliance Monitoring

With exit of SON from the port, the Directorate was faced with the challenge of controlling the influx of substandard products in the country. Hence, the management of SON in its resolve to re-position the organisation towards this challenge, created a directorate which is now called “Compliance Directorate”

This Directorate is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring of products and materials both locally manufactured and imported.

It also the duty of the Directorate to ensure product compliance to Nigerian Industrial Standards.

  • Compliance of facilities, materials and products to standards/specifications.
  • Proactive response to complaints sent to the Department.
  • Market Survey to identify substandard products.
  • Consumer Compliant mediation in conjunction with Consumer Complaint and Collaboration efforts.
  • Issuance of red alert to the public on defective injurious products as approved by Management.
  • Generating data on defective products/fraudulent importers.
  • Rectification of defective products in conjunction with relevant department.
  • Manufacturers/importers comply to applicable charges.

In other to effectively carry out monitoring and enforcement activities, the under listed teams have been created;

  • Compliance
  • Surveillance
  • Investigation

The operations of the directorate shall be as follows;

  • Monitoring/interception of consignment exiting various points of entry into the country(sea port, airport and border).
  • Examination of intercepted consignment to ensure compliance and consistency of declaration.
  • Sampling of the examined products where applicable and forward same to SON or independent laboratories for analysis.
  • Inspection and monitoring of warehouses to ensure compliance.
  • Escort of provisionally released consignment to importers/SON warehouse as the case may be.
  • Visiting of market to carry out surveillance on SON regulated products.
  • Carrying out raid on products that have been confirmed to be substandard or fake in the markets/warehouses.
  • Rectification of products with inadequate labeling/marking.
  • Seizure of substandard products.
  • Destruction of substandard products.
  • Handling of referral cases of consumer complaints emanating from consumer feedback and collaboration unit of SON/individuals.
  • Handling of referral cases of non-conformity from operations Directorate, State Offices, Product Registration, SONCAP, Ports and Border.
  • Reporting of all operations carried out in respect of the above to the Director, Inspectorate & Compliance Directorate.

The Compliance Directorate interfaces with other departments in the Organisation.

These Directorates/Departments include the following:

  • DG’s Office: SONCAP, Port &Border, Product Registration, Customer Feedback & Collaboration.
  • Operations Directorate: RC offices ,State offices, Market Survey Unit.
  • Product Certification.
  • Laboratory Services.

The enforcement activities of the directorate covers locally manufactured and imported products.

  • LOCALLY MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS:
    The State Coordinator reports  issues of non – compliance observed during factory inspection exercise and market survey activities carried out to the Director of Operation through the Regional Coordinator who in turn notifies the DG for further directives.

    Nationwide raid of selected products are carried out periodically. Hence, samples drawn are sent to the laboratory for confirmatory analysis. These are grouped into three categories:

    • MANCAP certified products
    • NIS certified products
    • MANCAP/NIS yet to be certified products

 

  • IMPORTED PRODUCTS:
    These are products brought into the country. Imported products can be monitored through the following channels;

      • SONCAP Product Certification
      • SONCAP Certification
      • Product Registration Certification
        • Product Registration unit informs the directorate of non-compliance observed during inspection exercise and market survey.
        • The SONCAP desk notifies the Directorate of non-compliance.
        • The Port and Border unit gives referral on defaulter clearly stating the non-compliance.
        • The Laboratory Services Directorate collaborates with Compliance Directorate  on timely analysis on products and also notify the directorate on defective products.
        • Routine interception of containers suspected to be carrying substandard products are carried out by field Officers and immediately reported to Director, Compliance Directorate.
        • Suspected life endangering  products are monitored from the point of entry or NICIS platform and are escorted to SON/Importer’s  warehouse pending the outcome of test result.

Imported products are to be accompanied with the following documents:

  • SONCAP Product Certificate
  • SONCAP Certificate/Import permit
  • Bill of lading

A). Enforcement Operation

  • Survey of markets to identify substandard products
  • Proactive response to complaints sent to the unit
  • Consumer complaint mediation in conjunction with Consumer Complaint and collaborate effect unit
  • Informing the Public of the defective injurious products in conjunction with the Public Relations Unit
  • Generating data on defective products/fraudulent importer
  • Rectification of defective products in conjunction with relevant departments
  • Prosecution of fraudulent importers
  • Generation of revenue for SON operation through rectification handling fees/fines.

B). Ports and Border Operation

  • SON is actively involved in import inspection of goods and quality assessment at the ports.
  • The importance of this exercise is enormous, considering the economic and health/safety implications of influx of substandard goods into the country.
  • SON has established her presence in virtually all the seaports and Lagos borders.

C). SUBSTANDARDS / DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS STATUS

  • PRODUCTS BLACKLISTED / DESTROYED 
  • PRODUCTS RECTIFIED
  • PRODUCTS DOWNGRADED
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