Fake or Original, Nigeria

That Nigeria’s economy is ravaged by substandard and counterfeit goods is no longer news. What is perhaps disturbing is the continuous influx of these fake products into the markets in the face of seeming hapless regulatory agencies despite their efforts. Today, for almost all items in the market, you have original and fake products displayed side by side, mostly with impunity, and the consumers have to decide, depending on their choice and purse size. Unfortunately so, the prevalence of these counterfeit products is one of the biggest challenges facing marketing and brands development in the country as the counterfeit “industry” continues to stifle creativity and entrepreneurial development. The tragedy remains however that there is hardly any product in the Nigerian market that is not either faked or its quality sub-standard when compared with the original, especially for every fast selling genuine product- they are either pirated or reproduced almost similar to the original without regards for standards and specifications. Nigeria seems to have accepted to be a dumping ground for all kinds of goods from different parts of the world. From toothpaste to vehicle spare parts; computers and ICT products to building materials; cars to hand kerchiefs and towels; keys and padlocks to foods and drugs among others, and even expertise, and this is telling bad on the economy and the consumers.
http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/between-fake-and-original-products-who-rescues-nigerian-consumers/#.Va31m6Sqqko