The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has reiterated that products and services must conform to applicable standards to achieve global competitiveness.
The Director-General of SON, Malam Farouk Salim, stated this while delivering an address at a stakeholders’ forum held on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Salim was represented by the organisation’s Director, Southwest Region, Mrs Yeside Akínlabi, at the programme, with the theme: “Achieving global competitiveness via standardisation.
He said it was important for manufacturers to have the ability to produce quality goods and services in line with relevant and international standards.
Salim said that the organisation had continued to ensure that local products were of standard quality.
The director general said that the organisation also certified imported products to be of quality and standard.
He said that the organisation had critically ensured that products and services met up with the needs of consumers, ensured quality and safety as well as facilitated trade.
Salim said that the doors of its 44 offices across the federation were open for technical support and expertise on Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), among others.
“This programme is apt and it is what we need at this point in time.
“When you are into production, your purpose is to sell to the world as a global market.
“We want our manufacturers to ensure that whatever product that is produced or service that is rendered meets the requirements of the standards, and with this, the product will be competitive.
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“The essence of the stakeholders forum is to let them know that trade is important as long as they are into manufacturing.
“They need to be competitive, the world is a global market and your product must meet standards,” he said.
In his remark, the Senior Special Assistant to the D-G, Mr Emeka Duru, observed that standardisation was key for Nigerian businesses to be able to compete in the international market.
Duru submitted that the programme was brought to Ogun State for the stakeholders to understand the operations of SON and how it could assist them to boost their trade.
In their presentations, the Director of the SON Institute of Metrology, Enugu, Mr Bede Obayi and the SON Head of Product Registration, Mr Joseph Ogbaja, said that material balancing through measurement remained vital.
They also said that registration of products was important for certification and authenticity.
(NAN)
