The Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, has said the country cannot achieve lasting economic stability without strict adherence to product quality, as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.
Okeke said this to mark the Nigeria’s 66th anniversary, that the Federal Government’s reforms had laid the groundwork for growth, but warned that the gains would not hold if local production was not backed by standards.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Ethan Talatu, Director Corporate Affairs, SON Thursday in Abuja, Okeke said “A nation cannot consume its way to greatness; it must produce its way there. However, production without standardisation is an exercise in futility.”
He described substandard products as a drain on national resources, a threat to public safety and a dent on the country’s image in international markets.
The statement said SON is working in tandem with the Federal Government’s agenda, as reflected in this year’s anniversary theme, “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity.”
It said enforcement of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) was helping to turn macroeconomic reforms into stability for businesses and consumers.
Okeke said the agency’s priority over the past three years had been to strengthen the country’s quality infrastructure.
According to him, the National Metrology Institute’s Mass and Balance Calibration Laboratory secured EGAC ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. SON’s internationally accredited testing capacity also more than doubled, from 23 to 52 parameters.
The agency has also commissioned new State Office and Laboratory Complexes in Minna and Sokoto. He said the move would bring testing and calibration services closer to small businesses and cut costly delays for local producers.
On the digital front, SON launched a Digital Standards Platform (DSP) to improve access to standards nationwide. It also introduced the Electronic Product Identification Scheme (e-PIS), the Product Identification Scheme (PIS) and the Special Economic Zones Conformity Assessment Programme (SEZCAP) to track products along the value chain.
Okeke said 62 new Nigerian Industrial Standards had been rolled out. Codex standards have also been adopted for local agricultural products such as root and tuber flours.
Nigeria recently received the ARSO Quality Mark Award from the African Organisation for Standardisation. Okeke said more than 220 products from 131 Nigerian companies are now certified to adopted African Standards, positioning them to compete under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To keep its laboratories running round the clock, the agency commissioned a 200kW solar power system at its laboratory complex in Ogba, Lagos.
Okeke said SON had rebranded and tightened its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) logo and inspection process.
He, however, said the agency could not win the battle alone. He urged the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Ports Authority and security agencies to step up collaboration and share real-time market intelligence.
“When you see the SON quality mark, you are looking at a shield of safety and a stamp of national pride,” he said.
Okeke urged manufacturers not to compromise on quality, traders to reject fake goods, and Nigerians to buy locally made products.
