The Standard Organisation of Nigeria has celebrated 50 years of existence.
The body used the opportunity to interact with Anambra manufacturers and consumers and also restated its commitment to quality and standards.
Speaking during the ceremony in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Thursday, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, SON, Mallam Farouk A. Salim, stated the need for everyone to understand the importance of quality and standards in products and services.
Salim reiterated SON’s commitment to driving standards and quality service delivery, which are the keys to economic growth and well-being of society.
He expressed satisfaction that both manufacturers and consumers had realised the importance of standards and had embraced the standards set by SON in the interest of their products and services.
The DG/CEO, who was represented by a Director in SON, Mr Don Ebenezer, also expressed delight that SON was the apex standardisation body in Nigeria and responsible for the formation and establishment of standards relating to various products, commodities, measurements, processes, and materials for the certifying of products in Nigeria’s commerce and industry.
He said SON’s organisational structure had been expanded to nine, including regional directorates and 13 departments, with its corporate headquarters in Abuja and operational headquarters in Lagos and 48 state offices nationwide.
He said, “The mandate of SON is established in the SON Decree No. 56 of 1971, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was signed into law in 1971.
“The SON Act has undergone several amendments over the years, with the most recent being the amendment to repeal the SON Act, Cap s9 laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 and enact the SON Act 2015.
“In a bid to achieve our mandate, we have initiated several programmes that include, Mandately Comformity Assessment Programme, (MANCAP), Voluntary Product Certification Scheme, Nigerian Quality Award Scheme, Product-Type Certification for Exports and SON Conformity Assessment Programme, to ensure that substandard products are phased out.”
Commending SON for attaining 50 years, a member of the Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Mr Ifenna Atuchukwu, said SON’s efforts at tackling substandard goods and services in the country had led to the growth of the country’s economy.
Various manufacturers and stakeholders poured encomium on SON and urged it not to relent in its efforts towards ensuring product standardisation.
They said that if not for a body like SON, most industries and businesses would have been shut, adding that SON saved most of them to be able to compete with other global products.