Standards Organization of Nigeria Calls For Standards To Boost e-Commerce Sector

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) recently harped on the need for stakeholders in the e-commerce space to adhere strictly to standards in order to provide solutions that would ensure safe and secure transactions, assurance of quality, consumer protection and boost the sector.

Osita Aboloma, the Director General of SON, stated that imbibing standards in e-Commerce would go a long way to facilitate trade, promote global competitiveness, economic growth and development.

He therefore, declared that the need to promote awareness on standards and quality regulations in the e-commerce sector could not be overemphasised, maintaining that ensuring safe and secure online platforms for sales of goods and services to enhance trade within Nigeria and across borders would ultimately increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation.

The SON boss, represented by the Director, Corporate Affairs, SON, Dr. Paul Angya, at a stakeholders’ forum tagged “The role of standards and quality regulation in electronic commerce in Lagos, Tuesday”, said e-Commerce as the name implies is a business that is on the rise hence it is apt and crucial for the standardisation and regulation of the quality of products and services being traded through the cyberspace.

According to him, the promotion of awareness on standards and quality regulation in the E-Commerce sector has become necessary as the drive for digitalised market places increased and the pressure on the standards community mounts.

“This requires that all stakeholders reckon fully with the realities of the competitive and fast-paced global economy. Having identified that the roles played by stakeholders in this sector is key to the growth and development of the nation, the participants and this forum have been carefully selected. From consumers to consumer groups, telecommunication companies, banks, airlines, regulatory bodies, advertising practitioners, embassies and trade charters as well as online marketers and dealers, your interactions are expected to channel a way forward for E-Commerce in Nigeria,” he said.

He pointed out that with the increasing volumes of consumer complaints being received on the quality of products and services sold online, it  has become necessary to have a robust regulatory framework in place to drive the e-commerce sector.

“For instance, products like mobile phones, electrical and electronic devices cannot be physically viewed and tested before purchase online while the claims on what they can do have been found in many cases to be inaccurate or sometimes out rightly false,” he said.

Aboloma said: It is expected that decisions reached at this forum today, will foster positive change that will ensure improved customer satisfaction and consumer protection and ultimately guarantee the safety and security of online sales and marketing as well as ensure that only quality goods and services are provided for the consumers.”

He urged participants to take optimum advantage of the forum to discuss pertinent issues with online marketers and the regulatory bodies in a bid to attract more investors into the e-commerce sector.

On his part, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Babatunde Irukera, said e-commerce is the way of the future, pointing out that technology is disrupting the traditional ways of commerce and trade.

He noted that as consumers are becoming more sophisticated, so also is the role of consumer protecting authorities all over the world to ensure that they are as dynamic as the sophistication of consumers.

“What we believe at CPC is that any e Commerce platform must capture the responsibilities of availing consumers’ good quality for money spent.

This is why the question of returns, refunds and warranties are very important to us. We are in the process of writing new regulations with respect to returns, refunds and warranties while paying rapt attention to e Commerce with respect to that.

We must find a way to promote e-commerce while at the same time, promote the interest and safety of the consumer,” he said.

He said the challenge facing the e-commerce space is the nature of its borderlessness, stressing that there are jurisdictional issues on whether some of the online marketers are people that are providing services and goods are within the jurisdictional authority of CPC.

“We are working towards this both at international and local levels to ensure that the regulatory framework adequately address these issues. Stakeholders in the e-commerce industry must recognise the importance of consumers,” he said.

In his words, “Any business that is offering goods and services will only survive as long as it continues to prioritize consumer protection and when they prioritize that knowing that technology is just a tool to ensuring that people are satisfied, then that way you can be sure that the business would perpetuate. Stakeholders must ensure that consumers’ interest must continue to be prioritised, the CPC boss maintained.”

On his part, the Director, Product Certification Directorate, SON, Tersoo Orngudwen, said standards are global, stressing that Nigeria must embrace standards as it is done everywhere in the world.

He stated that the forum was aimed at making e Commerce seamless while taking cognisance of standards.

The president , Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, Shola, Ajulo, said the forum was a welcome development, saying that Nigeria has caught up with e Commerce businesses and also possess the skill required to ensure protection not just for physical markets, but to the online markets.

“I hope today, the consumers, regulators and service providers come up with agreements that will go a long way to protect the consumers and the online markets. We want to address things like warranties, refunds, returns, misleading adverts, because on-line marketers are taken undue advantage of so many consumers are being taken advantage of. I am hoping that we would be able to have some checks and balances to make sure that the online market is safe,” she said.

Our correspondent reports that the awareness event on digital marketing was attended by operators and relevant stakeholders in business, commerce, trade, investment, communication and other relevant sectors of the nation’s economy.

Source independent.ng