A substandard product is a product that does not meet the minimum standards for quality or safety. This can be due to a number of factors, including poor materials, shoddy workmanship, or inadequate testing. Substandard products can pose a serious risk to consumers, and as such, they are heavily regulated by government agencies. In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for regulating the safety of consumer products. If a product is found to be substandard, the CPSC can issue a recall, which requires the manufacturer to take the product off the market and refund consumers.
Some people may wonder why companies send substandard products to Nigeria. Do they look down on Nigerians or our Country? Do they feel Nigerians do not deserve safe and quality products? Is Nigeria a vessel for disposal of their mistakes and shortcomings. Do they send bad products assuming no one will check it out? Do they feel our government is disorganized and the systems in place will not detect their inadequacies? While each company is different, it is apparent that at least one of these factors may exist.
Companies inside Nigeria often cut corners in terms of quality.
There are a few reasons why companies might send substandard products to Nigeria. First, Nigeria is a developing country with a lower per capita income than many developed countries. This means that companies can get away with selling lower quality products to Nigerian consumers. Second, Nigeria has a relatively large population, which means that there is a large potential market for companies selling products there. Finally, Nigeria is located in a region of the world where there is a lot of political instability. This can make it difficult for companies to get their products into the country, so they may be more likely to send lower quality products that are more likely to be accepted.
What about products manufactured inside Nigeria, can they be substandard? The answer to this question is yes. Companies inside Nigeria often cut corners in terms of quality in order to save costs, and sometimes finding quality materials inside Nigeria is difficult. Companies may bribe officials in order to get away with producing lower quality goods. A lack of skilled labor can also be a factor, as many workers may not have the training or experience necessary to produce high quality products.
Sometime adulterants will be added that are not listed on the label.
What we are discussing here is standards, it is up to the individual, community and government to create a standard and maintain it at all costs. You can not expect a company in another country, to uphold standards that you don’t live by yourself. It is not their responsibility to dictate how you want your products made, it is your responsibility. Their motive is profit, if you give them your money they are considered successful. This process will continue to repeat until someone puts a stop to it.
So what can an individual do when they are living on or below the poverty line? The answer is very little. Education is one factor that can help protect you and your family, becoming familiar with ingredients contained in the products can help you make better decisions. Sometime adulterants will be added that are not listed on the label, in this case becoming informed will not help you. As a consumer in Nigeria, their is unfortunately little that can be done once these products enter the market.
Once the money flow stops, these products will stop entering Nigeria.
Product safety is the government’s responsibility, systems need to be put in place and governance will need to operate at 100%. Once these products get rejected at the ports, companies foreign and domestic will have no choice but to follow the standard protocols. Once the money flow stops and they begin losing money with each shipment, it is only at that time substandard products will stop entering Nigeria.
Related Links
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