Determined to combat trade barriers, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has introduced mobile calibration vehicles and measurement equipment across the country. Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, SON Director General Farouk Salim explained that this platform will open access to new markets and help prevent trade obstacles. He highlighted that the initiative will boost productivity, lower costs, reduce errors, and ensure consistency and uniformity of products.
Salim emphasized that calibration benefits will ensure compliance, monitor and control substandard products nationwide, promote mass production for industries and businesses, facilitate transactions in trade and commerce, and accelerate overall industrial growth—particularly the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises. He added that SON will conduct public‑awareness campaigns to promote safety and underscore the role of calibration in improving quality of life. “The plague of substandard products cannot be overemphasised, as it contributes to declining foreign exchange, rising unemployment, and insecurity,” he warned.
The SON administration is strengthening measures to fight substandard goods, including establishing six new offices for broader coverage, providing testing facilities in various regions, and creating a special task force to serve as an additional oversight layer. Despite numerous challenges, Salim affirmed that the agency remains undeterred.
Also speaking, Segun Ajayi‑Kadir, Director General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), pledged MAN’s partnership with SON wherever support is needed. He noted that MAN recently concluded a leadership retreat to prioritize its relationship with SON. “Institutions must be strong to maintain the synergy we have. We all have a responsibility to support and encourage SON. Let us leave here resolved to ensure SON has the resources it needs,” he said.
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