What does CAPDAN stand for and what is its objective?

CAPDAN means Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria. It is an umbrella body of those who are into computer and allied products business in Nigeria. It is a registered

organization. We take care of members' welfare, security and so on. We try to maintain standard in conjunction with Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria And Standard Organization of Nigeria.
Three years after, what has it been like?
It has not been easy actually, knowing fully well that it is difficult to manage human beings especially those who are rich. You know that most members here have money so it is not easy to tell them what to do. It has been very tough but we thank God we are succeeding by His mercies.
Fake IT products are still brazenly sold, any plan to stem that?
That question is political. There is very little anybody can do about the items you are talking about; because I do not know the process you applied in arriving and describing some products as fake. I do not know your classification or measuring standard. If some products are not up to standards, it does not mean that it is faked; you must bear that in mind.
But we have been working with Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) to bring a better standard to the business; you know the business is new in this part of the world. IT as a profession or as a body can be compared to somebody trying to construct a building; he starts by clearing the site, laying the foundation before erecting the building. In relation to your question, we are moving in the expected direction of ensuring standard, we will get there.

What actually stands this market out among others?

There is no other computer market in Lagos that you can call a one-stop computer market. There may be some parts in Alaba market where computer and allied products are sold, but really computer sales starts and ends here in Ikeja. This is the real computer market. A place you can come and get every thing you need in computer; the biggest IT market in Nigeria

Is there any plan to separate the GSM dealers from the core Computer sellers?

You cannot separate them; they are the same thing. When you talk of ICT, you are talking of information and communication technology; that is the nucleus of the business, your ability to talk without wire. You communicate with the computer and the phone, that is ICT. You cannot separate the two.

Is there any plan to relocate from this place?

Yes, there is strong plan to relocate the market. Government gave us a land at a particular amount; the money is still being put together. Recently they [government] even slashed the cost by fifty per cent and we are grateful to them. As soon as the money is fully realized we would get our certificate of occupancy.

Can we have the exact amount you are requested to pay?

I beg you to reserve that area until we get the certificate of occupancy; we promise to invite you for detailed information.
You said there is no fake here but do you allow sub-standard products to be sold here?
Sub-standard products are not common here; they are there but they are not common. There is no part of the world you will not see them. The manufacturers do that, some times they produce the other side of the product and push it to other parts of the world, Nigeria cannot be an exception, and it is a common thing everywhere.
As for what we are doing, I have told you that we are working with Standard Organization of Nigeria [SON], which regulates the quality of products, and the Computer Professionals Association, which sees to the quality of computer products in this country. These are government agencies and we are working with them.
We would try to see how we could make things easy for the dealers and the buyers, because the people in this business use their money to run it; nobody is supporting them. Remember also that when NAFDAC started, they did not do it one night. It took them years; we must also bear in mind that the industry is growing and we must help it to grow and stabilize.
Is it true that the 10 per cent VAT increment still affect cost of products in this market?
This may be right because when the new VAT was introduced, it did not immediately jerk-up the cost of computer accessories. It took some time before it affected other products; in the same way it is going to take time before the removal of the VAT will be noticeable on the products, for the simple reason that some of the goods that came in within that time are still in the shelf. Until they are sold, there is nothing anybody can do about it.