Fake phones and accessories have become commonplace in Nigeria, in spite of concerted efforts to combat substandard devices, according to Silvin Sinan, head of the Care Centre at Nokia West Africa.
Sinan said fake phones were among a number of issues that threatened the survival of the industry, as they are abundant.
“One of such is the abundance of fake and substandard goods and accessories, a situation that has eaten so deep into the fabric of the sector and may destroy it if unchecked. The influx of fake and substandard products cut across all segments of the sector,” he said.
He said consumers are dealing with ignorance and not all of them can easily identify fake products.
“Incidentally, mobile phones and their accessories are not different as many consumers opted for substandard devices because they are cheap and look like the original,” Sinan said.
“In spite of the efforts made by government agencies to combat substandard devices, the business appears to have taken a foothold to the detriment of consumers, manufacturers and government alike.”
To stem counterfeiting in the ICT industry, he said genuine manufacturers need to work together and in partnership with the government to educate the general public on how to identify fake devices.
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