Hardship, ignorance fuel fake goods trade — Stakeholders

Prosecute sellers of substandard cables — Coleman MD By Providence Ayanfeoluwa Economic hardship, ignorance and dwindling purchasing power are fuelling the growing trade in fake and substandard goods in Nigeria, with consumers increasingly settling for cheaper products without fully understanding the risks involved, stakeholders have said. They said the situation had become particularly troubling as many Nigerians struggle to meet their daily needs, forcing them to prioritise price over quality. They added that consumers who are unable to differentiate between fake and genuine products could easily fall victim to unscrupulous traders. An importer, Mazi Ezekiel Okonkwo, said the problem was not only linked to poverty but also to consumers’ inability to identify genuine products. “Things are very hard. People are looking at their pockets and buying what their money can afford.

Many consumers may not know whether what they are buying is genuine or fake,” he said. Okonkwo illustrated the situation with automobile tyres, explaining that some traders could present inferior tyres to unsuspecting customers as cheaper alternatives to original products. He said some traders also sell fake products at the price of genuine ones because buyers are unaware of how to differentiate between them. According to him, “some buyers may not know that a product is fake, but the seller will claim it is another quality that can serve the same purpose and even better. They will tell you, ‘The price you are demanding is not enough to get you the brand you are requesting; buy this other alternative. ’” He added that ignorance among consumers made it easier for traders to pass off counterfeit or substandard products, particularly when buyers were attracted by significantly lower prices. Okonkwo…