I have observed, with total admiration, the great work being done by Kunle Shonaike through his regular articles in Nigerian newspapers on automobile care and maintenance. He has opened my
eyes to the need for relevant enlightenment in a sector of the Nigerian economy which has cost us more lives than HIV/AIDS and Malaria put together, in the number of our compatriots who have needlessly lost their lives through vehicular accidents. I was particularly impressed when he wrote: ‘we are resolved to change this perverted tradition and we will start by running an enlightenment
campaign to change bad habits that have long been formed across the auto market’s major segments’.
I recall once seeing, somewhere in a sprawling Lagos market, some people ‘reboring’ used tyres which they then put on the market as new ones to the unsuspecting public. Naturally, these tyres burst on the roads within weeks of their purchase causing fatalities that should not have arisen at all. Indeed, completely dead spark plugs are being imported into the country and subsequently washed with chemicals and put out for sale as new with the impotent, if not complicit, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), looking helpless. That way, wives have lost husbands and vice versa, just as children their parents. It is fascinating to see that the Lagos State government has started a
process of training and registering drivers but it is hoped that their training curriculum will be
all-embracing.
Fake auto parts must, however, account for a much higher number of vehicular accidents on our roads than second hand and rebored tyres. It is a huge market that has both local and international connections. Of course, the fakery industry, in general, is a multi-billion dollar business and it
is doubtful if any country is free from its debilitating consequences.
It is well known that, as in drugs, where the Amazon, Professor Dora Akunyili, as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) fought a yeoman’s battle, spare parts fakery is equally huge and those involved in it would not bat an eyelid taking the lives of whoever may wish to put an end to their nefarious business. Fake auto parts supply is a
global problem that has very serious negative impacts on both the automotive industry as well as on the end user. Indeed fitting fake parts, especially safety related parts, easily impacts on the safety of the user and , may be, his or her family as well.
Facts and figures about this problem in Nigeria, like most other statistics in our country, are scarce. Fortunately, however, we can look at its effects in other countries , and from there, extrapolate what it is in our all- comers, ill-regulated economy. In India, for instance, the Times of India reported not too long ago, that up to 20% of all road accidents can be attributed to fake parts. According to the US Federal Trade Commission estimates, global counterfeiting of automotive products is estimated at about $12 billion annually. The manufacturers, distributors as well as sellers of fake products want the end user to believe that they are buying quality products which they obviously are not. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), majority of counterfeit parts are made in China. Of course distribution channels are very diversified as unscrupulous dealers also import them to places like the United Arab Emirates ( UAE), where they are re-boxed under well known brand names, and then re-exported across the globe, Nigeria inclusive. Good news is, parts manufacturers ,vehicle assembly companies and government bodies, world-wide, are working together assiduously to find solutions to this humongous problem. Indeed, many countries are, on their own, already devising strategies to confront the problem.
In the course of researching this problem, I spoke with Daniel Jolly, a Scot, Executive Director of a UK – based group of companies specializing in the global supply of automotive parts and related consultancy services. According to him, “Fake products are seriously polluting the automotive parts supply chain world-wide, but an added problem for the consumer”, he said, “is trying to understand what a fake part is, and conversely, what is not”.
So, what is the definition of a fake part? Fake parts , in his words, are “copy” parts manufactured mainly in countries with cheap labour which are then boxed either under the vehicle assembler’s brand logo or the parts manufacturer’s brand logo.
The consultant said it is also very critical that people understand the different parts supply alternatives available to the consumer in the marketplace. According to him , vehicle assemblers such as Toyota, Ford etc do not manufacture their own spare parts. Rather, they buy their parts from global parts manufacturers such as Bosch, Mahle, Nisshinbo/TMD Friction and then have them boxed in their own vehicle assemblers’ brand logo e.g Toyota Genuine Parts.
The different types of parts available in the global automotive parts supply chain, according to Jolly, can be described as follows. First, you have Original Equipment(OE) parts. These are used by the vehicle assemblers in assembling a new motor vehicle (automobile, light truck, or truck) and are also
used by the vehicle assemblers in its service network. These are referred to as Original Equipment (OE) parts, manufactured and supplied from the Parts’ Manufacturers and boxed under the Vehicle Assembler’s brand logo( the so-called “genuine parts”).
Secondly, you have OES parts that are supplied into the general marketplace. These are referred to as Original Equipment Service (OES) parts, supplied from the parts manufacturers and boxed under the parts manufacturer brand logo.
Third, are the Replacement Aftermarket parts. Replacement parts are automotive parts manufactured as a low cost alternative to the OE and OES parts. These parts manufacturers are not sanctioned by the vehicle assemblers but manufacture and box their parts under their own brand name/logo.
Lastly, you have accessories which are parts made for comfort, convenience, performance, safety, or customization, and are designed for add-on after the original assembly of the motor vehicle.
According to Jolly, there is a huge global challenge to combat the problem of fake parts but there is also a need for education on the subject. His words: “the recurring point is that people wrongly label OES parts as fakes because their understanding of a fake part is anything that does not come with the vehicle assembler logo on the box. This is far from the truth”
Accoording to Jolly, in the more mature automotive markets such as that of Europe and North America, there is a vibrant aftermarket industry which readily compliments the existing Vehicle Assembler network. This has helped reduce ownership costs to the consumer whilst maintaining high levels of service and quality, thus ensuring safe trips.
His advice to any country/government that is determined to confront this problem is to develop a vibrant and regulated aftermarket industry, and ensure that they engage technically qualified people/organisations to suggest or recommend appropriate course of action in this very important sector of any country’s economy.
I cannot agree more since this will protect our citizenry from the horrible consequences of the booming fake spare parts’ market in Nigeria.
