Stakeholders who attended the recent anti-counterfeit forum in Abuja have blamed the increasing rate of counterfeiting of branded products on inadequate legislation to curtail it.
The forum, organised by Hewlett Packard (HP), argued that there are no comprehensive laws in Nigeria that recognise the manufacturing and distribution of substandard and counterfeit products as economic crime.
They also cited a lack of effective penalties to deter manufacturers and importers of substandard products, and canvassed legislation to save Nigerians from the health risks and financial loss caused by counterfeiting.
Economic loss of counterfeiting
The forum identified the neglect of the economic value of intellectual property rights’ ownership, rise of certain expensive or highly aspirational luxury goods, increasing internet transactions without legal framework, and non-government cooperation with the private sector, as other reasons for rising counterfeiting in Nigeria.
Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director General, Joseph Odumodu, sought proper law enforcement by regulators to address the situation, which he described as worrisome, because it constitutes risk and economic loss.
He disclosed that 18 out of every 20 products tested in SON laboratory are fake, and expressed regret that Nigerians buy counterfeits in ignorance at their own detriment.
“If there are laws, enforcement and prosecution that will lead to jail term, it will act as deterrent to others who are also involved in counterfeiting,” Odumodu stressed.
Nigeria by 2025
HP District Manager, Printing & Personal Systems (English Africa), Jean-Paul Pinto, said the company is interested in the Nigerian market because of its size and business opportunities and would do everything possible to tackle counterfeiting.
The problem affects HP and other corporate organisations and brand owners, he maintained.
According to him, Nigeria buys 20 per cent of HP printers sold in Africa, and forecast that the country would, by 2025, become a workforce to reckon with in global transactions, after China.
Pinto said the implication of the expected growth would be greater business opportunities for Nigeria and Nigerians.
“HP is focused on education in Nigeria and Africa, advising governments on how best to invest in education and in other sectors,” he added.
Efforts by the Customs
Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller General, Abdullahi Dikko, implored global and local brand owners to collaborate and fight counterfeiting which is adversely affecting Nigerians and Nigeria.
He reiterated that counterfeiting is not peculiar to Nigeria, it is global, as illicit exports to the United States currently double genuine exports.
Dikko articulated the efforts made by Customs officers to arrest and destroy counterfeit products and urged the populace to join in the struggle to eliminate fake products.
‘Invest in Nigeria – Your Gateway to Africa’
In another development, Gitex Technology Expo and Conference in Dubai, Nigeria, the official country partner to Gitex 2014, has created its logo for the exhibition.
The logo underscores the readiness to showcase local content to attract participants to the biggest technology exhibition ever.
The logo, which depicts Nigeria as the entry to Africa, carries the message: “Invest in Nigeria – Your Gateway to Africa”.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director General, Peter Jack, said the over-riding objective in Gitex, Dubai is to showcase Nigeria’s huge potential for ICT investment.
It is also to demonstrate that Nigeria is the favourite destination for offshore investment in all of Africa and one of the top global destinations for investment today, he added.
