Threat of Cancer-Causing School Uniforms In Nigeria -By Kayode Ojewale

Cancer remains one of mankind’s deadliest non-contagious diseases. It is therefore not only worrisome and disturbing, but also scary to learn that one can contract the scourge from clothing materials such as school uniforms. To state then that nursery, primary and secondary school children are at the highest risk of getting cancer is to state the obvious. A crucial step towards addressing the menace is to trace the origin of the cloth. Challenges may arise over the need for government or anyone to monitor or check the quality, in terms of the standards of these clothing materials and uniforms, since they are mainly imported.

Recently, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) alerted Nigerians, particularly importers of school uniform materials into Nigeria, about cancer-causing substances found in some school uniform materials made by two China-based companies. The two companies allegedly named were: Sing Shun Fat School-Clothier Company and Zenith Uniform Company. SON further revealed that azo dyes, which were found in some school uniforms in Hong Kong, contained up to 173 milligrammes and 41 milligrammes per kilogramme of the tested samples respectively, which were above the maximum allowed.

Cancer-causing school uniforms made by China-based companies

Many countries have banned the use of 4-amino azo dyes in schools, owing to the fact that these dyes could release carcinogenic substances, such as aromatic amines, when mixed with sweat. Hence, the school uniforms become carcinogenic when the dye in the clothing materials comes in contact with the sweat of the pupils wearing them.

It is against this backdrop that SON’s chief executive, Mr. Osita Aboloma, advised importers of school uniform materials in Nigeria to endeavour to undergo the process of conformity assessment of such materials prior to thier importation. Aboloma further advised Nigerians to report any suspected uniform material 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. In his words: “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.”

Beyond the warning alerts given by SON on the cancer-causing school uniforms made by China-based companies, there should be some draconian measures the government must take to ensure all-round safety of its citizens. One of such is the placing of an immediate ban on the importation of school uniform clothing materials. One of the reasons the Nigerian textiles industry collapsed was due to the influx of cheap textiles and fabrics to the country from all over the world, mainly from China and India. Before this ban is placed, efforts should be intensified to revamp our local clothing and textiles industries.

Also, routine checks on warehouses of importers and marketers of clothing materials should be carried out by SON officials in order to deal with non-standards-complying marketers and importers. This brings to the fore the poor monitoring of the country’s porous borders, through which unchecked imported goods still find their way into the markets.

Seven years ago, in an attempt to decongest the seaports and facilitate the clearance of goods, the federal government reduced the number of agencies at the seaports and ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and SON to vacate seaports and carry out their statutory duties outside the ports. However, sometime in May this year, in the wake of the codeine abuse crisis, government at the federal level ordered the return of NAFDAC to seaports to be able to effectively control the importation of regulated products. Many Nigerians commended the government for doing the needful to arrest the codeine menace back then.

Not much success has been recorded since the exit of SON from seaports in 2011. The organisation’s outside-the-seaport operations of combing warehouses and markets to wade off substandard product syndicates who operate efficient distribution networks by spreading their deadly consignments across markets have not yielded substantial results. The influx of substandard and life-endangering products would be stopped and confiscated right there at the seaports if the SON officials are always on ground. To justify the government’s action, some may argue that SON officials have not been totally sent away from operating at the seaport, as they still participate in examination of cargo but only on ‘invitation’ by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) or Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). This is not as effective and efficient as having SON officials on standby to attend to standards-related responsibilities and demands when the need arises.

As done in the case of NAFDAC when the need arose, we urge the federal government to order the return of SON to the seaports to be able to fully monitor and check the unfettered high inflow of substandard, counterfeited and life-threatening products to Nigeria through these seaports. By proactively acting this way, our seaports, other entry points and indeed the whole country will be safe from any infiltration of cancer-causing school uniform clothing.

Kayode Ojewale writes from Idimu, Lagos via kayodeojewale@gmail.com.