Science and technological breakthroughs; a booming economy;
growing strength in international politics; aid to developing
nations hardly a day passes without a mention of China in the news
in Nigeria.
However, not all of the news goes down well with the people.
Relations between Nigeria and China go back several years. I was
able to confirm this recently when I noticed that the porcelain
toilets in my 35-year-old university building are all made in China
and have weathered the years.
It is very likely that Nigeria's imports from China started even
before China opened up to the international community.
A Chinese, Cha Chi-ming from Hong Kong, was a pioneering
industrialist in the textile industry in Nigeria, producing quality
wax materials and employing hundreds of Nigerians. He died in March
this year at the age of 93.
Because I have lived in China in the recent past I can attest to
the high quality of products made in China and the efforts of the
Chinese government to ensure the good quality of these
products.
I also know that products in China are tailored for the masses
and therefore are low-priced.
Many of these products can be found in Nigeria and because of
weather conditions and frequent use, they rapidly deteriorate. But
beyond this many substandard products also enter the country, but
not necessarily from China.
Some could have been manufactured locally and stamped
Made-in-China. Therefore it is not uncommon in Nigeria to hear
consumers complain about the low quality of products from
China.
I have on several occasions tried to put right this erroneous
belief. To buttress my defense I use the recently launched Nigeria
Communication Satellite, produced and launched by China, and
several Chinese products that are well suited to our country, for
example, the Jincheng motorcycle.
If Chinese products were that bad, then why do we see so many
Nigerian officials visiting China to woo investors.
However, the Nigerian government is becoming increasingly
concerned about the alarming rate at which unregistered,
counterfeit and smuggled products are entering the country.
It appears some dubious Nigerian businessmen collude with their
Chinese counterparts to perpetrate this illicit trade. This trade
cuts across several products, including textiles, drugs, computer
soft and hardware, household appliances and many more.
In late 2006 "China town," a sprawling business district in
Lagos, Nigeria was closed down by the Nigerian Customs. The
explanation: It was a haven for smuggled products, especially
clothing and shoes.
During the period "China town" was shut down, many Nigerians and
Chinese traders were made jobless.
This month the Nigerian food and drug control agency announced a
ban on all imported toothpaste. It specifically mentioned those
imported from China because they contained Ethyl glycol, an
anti-freeze that causes cancer.
However, the recent effort of the Chinese government in curbing
the activities of illegal manufacturers and traders needs to be
praised.
A few weeks ago the Chinese public security bureau in
collaboration with private organizations and some international
agencies raided syndicates in southern China and seized counterfeit
computer software.
The syndicates had been identified with the distribution of more
than US$2 billion worth of Microsoft software to more than 27
countries, including Nigeria.
It will be worthwhile if the Chinese government could extend
this type of clampdown to other products such as drugs, textiles,
home appliances and electronics.
Few Nigerians have the opportunity to visit China to confirm
that goods made there are not necessarily of low quality.
A majority of Nigerians only know China through the products
imported from that country. To this majority they should be able to
purchase quality products that enter the country through legal
means.
Although checking most products imported into Nigeria lies with
Nigerian Customs, the combined effort of this agency and the
Chinese agencies for quality control and export/import licenses
will yield better results.
Nigeria has an estimated population of 150 million people, and
offers a huge market manufacturers cannot afford to ignore.
By S. Idowu Ola
The author is with the Department of Animal Science in the
Faculty of Agriculture at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
(China Daily August 22, 2007)
