China begins crack down on export of sub-standard goods to Nigeria

The Chinese government has begun strict inspection of goods into Nigeria to check perennial export of fake and sub-standard goods into the country, the Director General, West Asia & Africa Section in China’s Ministry of Commerce, Zhong Man Ying said yesterday.

Zhong told newsmen in Beijing that much as it was the collective responsibility of the governments of both countries to check the influx of fake and sub-standard goods into Nigeria, the Chinese government had mobilised its Products Inspection Administration Unit, the Customs and Ministry of Commerce to ensure that henceforth, all goods leaving China for Nigeria meet approved quality standards.

‘’This is a responsibility shared by China and Nigeria and indeed all Africa, but we have mobilised all the necessary agencies to crack down on shoddy products export to Nigeria”, she said.

Zhong said China had signed bilateral quality inspection and control agreements with African countries, and while the Nigerian authorities were in the process of signing theirs, China would help Nigeria with Customs inspection facilities to stem the tide of importation of dubious Chinese products into Nigeria, a trend that has almost portrayed China as a home of fake and substandard goods.

Mrs Zhong admitted that high quality Chinese goods were in short supply to Africa but that in the next two years, the supply of such products would increase because Africa is developing with accompanying increase in incomes and demand for high quality goods.

She said the volume of trade between China and Africa reached $222bn last year, with China’s exports to Africa amounting to $106.2bn while imports stood at $115.8bn. She advised African governments to increase value of their goods and services and step up industrialisation efforts to attract foreign investment.

She expressed hope in the forthcoming China-Africa Summit slated for South Africa to find solutions to pressing economic problems, especially as regards economic relations with China.

Pic NAN Community Chief Nursing Officer, Mala Kachallah Hospital, Sister Fati Babagana (left), addresses women at the Antenatal Ward, during the visit of UNFPA officials to the hospital in Maiduguri yesterday.