The Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Malam Farouk Salim, has urged manufacturers and importers in Nnewi Industrial town of Anambra State to ensure that their products meet the relevant industrial standards. Speaking at a one-day Sensitisation/ Awareness Creation Workshop for stakeholders in Nnewi, Anambra State, Salim emphasized the importance of standardization for national acceptability and global competitiveness.
In his keynote address, Salim highlighted the quality assurance process of inspection, sampling, and testing as integral steps to ensure that products conform to the minimum industrial standards. “Standardization gives consumers confidence in the quality of products being purchased and value for money spent, which is an attestation that the products can favorably compete globally,” he stated.
Salim further highlighted the policies and initiatives that SON has put in place to expand the frontiers of local manufacturers through standardization and quality assurance activities. These include the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, Market Surveillance, Inspection/Compliance Activities, Standard Development, SON-Conformity Assessment Programme, and Product Registration.
During the workshop, Mr. Onucheyo Enebi, the Director of the National Metrology Institute Enugu, emphasized how standardization enhances customers’ confidence, producers’ profitability, and national economic prosperity. He also warned about the consequences of non-compliance with industry standards, such as product recalls, which can result in significant costs and even the shutdown of firms.
A participant, Mr. Kenneth Anyadioha, called for the simplification of the registration process, as the rigorous certification procedures often deter potential investors. To address this concern, Chief Emeka Duru, Senior Special Assistant to the Director General, assured the participants that efforts would be made to streamline the registration process and provide the necessary support to promote global competitiveness.
Closing the workshop, Mr. Duru emphasized the need for Anambra industrialists to embrace standardization in order to compete effectively on the global stage. “We must do what successful countries like Japan, China, and Taiwan have done in terms of embracing standardization to achieve global recognition. We must strive to do the right thing at all times,” he stated.
The workshop, with the theme “Expanding the Frontiers of Local Manufacturers through Standardisation,” is the third of its kind in Anambra in the past year.
