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Rice has remained a staple in many homes across the world as a result of its affordability, quality, and ability to double its original size, making it a suitable feeding option for a very large family.
With trade partnership's happening globally, rice has become one of the most exported food commodity across different counties and continents. China remains the worlds largest producer of rice, yet rice manufacturing isn't sufficient globally, especially in Africa.
With the demand of rice exceeding the capacity of manufacturers to supply, this has increased the price of rice in the Nigerian market. Despite governments drive in establishing self sufficiency in rice production and supply to Nigerians, imported rice still enjoys over 60% of consumers demand.
This low supply experienced in the Nigerian market that has led to over 78% increase in the price of rice could be artificial if not properly monitored by government. Some dubious Business men could horde products just to create artificial scarcity that will increase the price of rice in the market.
The high demand of rice could also lead to its being adulterated. It takes about 6 months for rice to make it from planting to shops. To cover for the gap, dubious business men have resorted to adulterating the original rice with substances and materials.
These dubious business men have realised that they could make huge profits from adulterating a 50kg bag of rice by 37% making it difficult for consumers to differentiate fake rice from the original rice. With this adulteration business, the business men smile to the bank, while consumers are likely to groan to the hospitals.
Having realised the increasing demand for rice and the huge profit potentials it portends, dubious business men have turned this opportunity into a means to mislead consumers.
The adulterated rice if permitted into the market posses a great threat to the well being of consumers in Nigeria.
Government and regulatory agencies would have to sit up an guard consumers against these individuals. Citizens and consumers on the other hand have to educated on ways to identify fake rice from original rice.
In the next article, we shall be educating consumers with unique steps that will in differentiating fake from original.
Rice has remained a staple in many homes across the world as a result of its affordability, quality, and ability to double its original size, making it a suitable feeding option for a very large family.
With trade partnership's happening globally, rice has become one of the most exported food commodity across different counties and continents. China remains the worlds largest producer of rice, yet rice manufacturing isn't sufficient globally, especially in Africa.
With the demand of rice exceeding the capacity of manufacturers to supply, this has increased the price of rice in the Nigerian market. Despite governments drive in establishing self sufficiency in rice production and supply to Nigerians, imported rice still enjoys over 60% of consumers demand.
This low supply experienced in the Nigerian market that has led to over 78% increase in the price of rice could be artificial if not properly monitored by government. Some dubious Business men could horde products just to create artificial scarcity that will increase the price of rice in the market.
The high demand of rice could also lead to its being adulterated. It takes about 6 months for rice to make it from planting to shops. To cover for the gap, dubious business men have resorted to adulterating the original rice with substances and materials.
These dubious business men have realised that they could make huge profits from adulterating a 50kg bag of rice by 37% making it difficult for consumers to differentiate fake rice from the original rice. With this adulteration business, the business men smile to the bank, while consumers are likely to groan to the hospitals.
Having realised the increasing demand for rice and the huge profit potentials it portends, dubious business men have turned this opportunity into a means to mislead consumers.
The adulterated rice if permitted into the market posses a great threat to the well being of consumers in Nigeria.
Government and regulatory agencies would have to sit up an guard consumers against these individuals. Citizens and consumers on the other hand have to educated on ways to identify fake rice from original rice.
In the next article, we shall be educating consumers with unique steps that will in differentiating fake from original.
Water is the most essential element to life and it is the most important substances on earth. Every living thing in the planet must have water to survive. Water is essential in the popular circulation of nutrients in the body. It serves as body’s transportation system.
In Nigeria today, the common medium of drinking water is the sachet water. Popularly known as “pure water”, sachets water is the cheapest and affordable form of water sold by everyone from street hawkers and shop owners and it is accessible to all.
Everyone venture into sachet water business without technically and scientifically grounded on handling and producing sachet water through storage and proper handling. Some just package untreated water in sachet and start distributing wherein endangering lives of people that may not even care to check the water they drink.
People drink water daily without checking if there’s NAFDAC approved number or expiring date and when it is over accumulated In their body system, it result to severe diseases.
The failure to provide safe pipe-borne water for human consumption by the governments, led to the production of sachet water in Nigeria. The government left the production of such water by individuals, who have little or no knowledge of producing quality water.
Professor Amobi Ilika, the director of community and public medicine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra state, in march 2013, when in civic presentation, cautioned that sachet water exposed the drinkers to cancerous materials.
It is important for Nigerians to check properly before buying any sachet water to see if it has NAFDAC number and try as much as possible to protect themselves against unwanted diseases that may cause their lives and be mindful of the kind of water they drink.
Health is wealth!!!
The gas cylinder is used in many homes, schools, hotels and different places where humans reside. In as much as the gas is used in cooking and in factory work, it is equally dangerous when poorly managed.
Gas cylinders if poorly managed has the capacity of destroying human life and materials.
Today we will be focusing on gas cylinders used for home cooking.
Many Nigerian homes use gas cylinders for their cooking activities. But how the cylinder is managed is dependent on the information available to the consumer.
Today we want to give you tips which will help you in properly managing your gas systems.
1.) Always ensure that your cylinder is kept bout side the house. Do not put the cylinder inside the kitchen.
2.) Ensure that the cylinder is approved by SON.
3.) Ensure that the hose are industry standard and approved by SON.
4.) Also ensure that the regulator is approved by SON.
5.) Always inspect your gas system before use to ensure that there are no leakages.
6.) Ensure that only certified gas technicians handle your gas supply and connection.
7.) Don't leave children to handle the gas.
8.) Always turn the regulator off, when the gas isn't in use.
9.) Area where gas is in use should be properly ventilated.
10.) Always check the nobs in the burner.
11.) If you perceive gas leaks, please do not touch anything. If the cylinder is outside the building find a way to get to it and turn off the regulator. Immediately call fire experts.
If you have further questions about how to handle your gas systems, feel free to communicate with us, www.savetheconsumers.org. We are here for you.
Consumers have a right to complete information on the price, quality, quantity, ingredients and other conditions under which the goods and services they consume are produced. It is only in this way that consumers are able to participate meaningfully in economic life and to exercise their rights.
Information is power. It is only when we have access to information that we take informed decisions about matters that affect our lives, our communities and indeed our country. But it is not enough merely to have access to information. In order for information to make the desired impact, it must be relevant to our needs. In addition, we must know how to use information in order to make the desired impact.Merely complaining about poor quality goods or services without directing our concerns to the responsible service producer or provider is unlikely to effect change. We must also follow up on the complaints we lodge with service providers. If our complaints or concerns are not addressed, we must raise them with the next in line of seniority or appropriate outside bodies. This is the only way through which to seek redress and encourage accountability among service providers.
This implies that service providers have redress mechanisms within their organisations. Where redress mechanisms do not exist, consumers must demand that they are put in place and observed.
The fact that consumers have access to information about goods and services does not necessarily mean that information is easily made available. Sometimes, even in a democratic society, it is difficult to force service providers to make information available to consumers. When the release of information necessary for the exercise of our rights is made impossible, it is up to us as consumers, to demand that such information is made available.
Generally, consumer rights are connected to one another. One right cannot be viewed in isolation from another or from responsibilities that come with rights. As such, redress is better realised when consumers organise themselves into collectives to press for their rights. For example, service providers who thrive on consumer ignorance or apathy are more likely to listen to a group of unhappy consumers than one individual. Otherwise, the service provider can lose reputation and business if the group decides to buy goods and services elsewhere or boycott the business. Consumer collectives can also negotiate better sale deals with service providers while individuals may find this difficult or need to develop personal relations with service providers, often over long periods of time.
(sourced from http://www.ncf.org.za)