Afeez Hanafi

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has raised the alarm over cancer-causing substances found in some school uniform materials made by two China-based companies.

SON Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, warned importers against bringing the school uniform materials into Nigeria.

A statement issued by the DG on Friday in Abuja, named the companies producing the materials as Sing Shun Fat School-Clothier Company and Zenith Uniform Company.

Aboloma said that “the azo dyes” found in some school uniforms in Hong Kong contained up to 173 milligrams and 41 milligrams per kilogram of the tested samples respectively.

He added that the amounts of the dye contained in the materials were well above the maximum allowed in the standard.

The DG said, “Use of the 4-amino azo dyes has been banned in Europe, Japan and other parts of the world prior to the finding.

“Azo dyes could release carcinogenic substances known as aromatic amines when they mix with sweat, which accounted for the ban on the use of the dye in many countries of the world.”

The DG advised importers of school uniform materials in Nigeria to undergo the process of conformity assessment of such materials prior to import through the SON off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme to avoid bringing them to the country.

He further advised Nigerians to report any suspected uniform materials that may already be in the country to SON for necessary sampling, laboratory tests and analysis to be carried out at its Textile and Leather Laboratory in Kaduna for necessary regulatory action.

Aboloma added that all International Accredited Firms (IAFs) undertaking the off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme on behalf of SON all over the world have been put on alert regarding the cancer-causing substance in school uniform materials and other clothing materials to be imported into Nigeria.

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