Information technology dealers at Computer Village, Ikeja have decried the inadequacies of regulatory government agencies and greed of dubious importers making sub-standard IT products to thrive in the market.
According to the Secretary General of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN, Mr. John Oboro, the government is the only agency that has the instrument of enforcement as the association can do just a little to curb the menace.
He said: ‘’The man who imported counterfeit smartphones and laptops want to make profit. But it is the duty of the government to checkmate it. The Federal Government has moved a step forward to evolve the MANCAP and the SONCAP certificates. For you to import a product into Nigeria, you have to get the SONCAP certificate. These are not regulations by the ordinary men but by the government’.
Mr. Oboro further added, ‘’Sub-standard phones and laptops do not fly into the country. They pass through the border and we have the custom officials there who are supposed to monitor and regulate importation’.
He however, made a clarion call that all hands must be on deck to ensure that computer village is free from all sub- standard products. In his words: Everyone in Nigeria has a contribution to make. We must put our hands together to drive the process together’.
Corroborating this was Mr. Emeka, a dealer in laptops and electronic accessories who said, ‘’we all know that these products are not produced in Nigeria but they are imported. It is the duty of the custom officials to monitor what comes into the country but some of these officials are very corrupt, they collect bribes and allow counterfeit products into the country’’.
He added that though some dealers intentionally import fake products, there are also instances of factory error; where original Smartphone develop technical faults a couple of weeks after purchase and customers blames the dealers instead of the manufacturer.
Speaking on the increase of sub-standard products at Computer Village, a customer who claimed anonymity said, ‘Computer Village is a market where deceit thrives. I bought a smartphone from one of the shops two days ago, but when I got home, I discovered that the phone cannot access the internet. I have been to the shop twice but the issue is yet to be resolved.
When asked if he would make a report to the police he said, ‘I would rather let sleeping dog lie, because taking the case to the police does not mean I will get an internet enabled phone at the end. I would not want to lose at both ends.
A computer Engineer who introduced himself as Olaniyi Sodiq described Computer Village, Ikeja as an IT Village where everything goes regardless of the standard. According to him the market offers products of different qualities to suit the varied taste of its customers.
He said, ‘if you want to get a new branded phone, a used phone, or even swap your used phone for another, it all depends on the choice of the consumer, I go for the original accessories but sub-standard accessories are also available too’. nformation technology dealers at Computer Village, Ikeja have decried the inadequacies of regulatory government agencies and greed of dubious importers making sub-standard IT products to thrive in the market.
According to the Secretary General of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, CAPDAN, Mr. John Oboro, the government is the only agency that has the instrument of enforcement as the association can do just a little to curb the menace.
He said: ‘’The man who imported counterfeit smartphones and laptops want to make profit. But it is the duty of the government to checkmate it. The Federal Government has moved a step forward to evolve the MANCAP and the SONCAP certificates. For you to import a product into Nigeria, you have to get the SONCAP certificate. These are not regulations by the ordinary men but by the government’.
Mr. Oboro further added, ‘’Sub-standard phones and laptops do not fly into the country. They pass through the border and we have the custom officials there who are supposed to monitor and regulate importation’.
He however, made a clarion call that all hands must be on deck to ensure that computer village is free from all sub- standard products. In his words: Everyone in Nigeria has a contribution to make. We must put our hands together to drive the process together’.
Corroborating this was Mr. Emeka, a dealer in laptops and electronic accessories who said, ‘’we all know that these products are not produced in Nigeria but they are imported. It is the duty of the custom officials to monitor what comes into the country but some of these officials are very corrupt, they collect bribes and allow counterfeit products into the country’’.
He added that though some dealers intentionally import fake products, there are also instances of factory error; where original Smartphone develop technical faults a couple of weeks after purchase and customers blames the dealers instead of the manufacturer.
Speaking on the increase of sub-standard products at Computer Village, a customer who claimed anonymity said, ‘Computer Village is a market where deceit thrives. I bought a smartphone from one of the shops two days ago, but when I got home, I discovered that the phone cannot access the internet. I have been to the shop twice but the issue is yet to be resolved.
When asked if he would make a report to the police he said, ‘I would rather let sleeping dog lie, because taking the case to the police does not mean I will get an internet enabled phone at the end. I would not want to lose at both ends.
A computer Engineer who introduced himself as Olaniyi Sodiq described Computer Village, Ikeja as an IT Village where everything goes regardless of the standard. According to him the market offers products of different qualities to suit the varied taste of its customers.
He said, ‘if you want to get a new branded phone, a used phone, or even swap your used phone for another, it all depends on the choice of the consumer, I go for the original accessories but sub-standard accessories are also available too’.
