Writing By Shamsuddeen Mannir Atiku; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has destroyed 230 bags of expired sugar and other substandard consumables valued at about ₦25 million in Kaduna, as part of efforts to safeguard public health and ensure quality compliance in the marketplace.
The items, which included soft drinks, liquid milk, tomato paste, insecticides and other consumables, were destroyed at a designated site outside the state capital.
Speaking during the exercise, Deputy Director, North-West Region of SON, Mr. Adamu Ahmed, said the products failed to meet the agency’s quality and safety requirements.
“We are here to destroy substandard products that did not comply with the required standards. This is to ensure consumers do not unknowingly use items that could endanger their health,” he said.
Ahmed explained that all 230 bags of sugar had expired and failed laboratory conformity tests, rendering them unsafe for consumption.
He noted that the destruction aligns with SON’s mandate to protect lives and promote consumer confidence.
The Deputy Director, North-West Region warned manufacturers, importers and distributors against circulating substandard products, stressing that SON would not compromise on standards.
The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority (KEPA), and the Kaduna State Government.
Speaking, the State Coordinator of NESREA, Mr. Hena Dangari, commended SON for its continued enforcement efforts, describing the exercise as an effective inter-agency measure to protect the environment and public health.
He also urged Nigerians to report suspicious products and reduce the use of single-use plastics, noting their impact on pollution, flooding and erosion.
Representing the General Manager of KEPA, Director of Pollution Control and Laboratory Services, Mrs. Thelma Peters, reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to continue working with SON to safeguard the environment and wellbeing of residents.
Shamsuddeen Mannir Atiku
