Despite the many challenges facing the manufacturing sector the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, says it has reduced the level of fake and substandard goods in the country from 85 per cent in 2011 to about 40 per cent.
Joseph Odumodu, director-general of the agency said in his State of Standards Address tagged Made in Nigeria for the World – A Transformational Imperative, that the success level was achieved through massive public enlightenment, huge media and stakeholders engagement; change of corporate identity of the agency, vision, greater capacity building through training and retraining of SON staff. The remodelling of Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme, SONCAP, for imported products and the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, MANCAP, for locally made products also played a significant role in the success story.
Odumodu also said the transformation took place because of the introduction of electronic products registration scheme introduced by the agency to ensure traceability of products. To a large extent, the success story was also driven by the establishment of help desks in some of the major markets, in collaboration with the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, and stakeholders in some of the markets in the country.
The SON said it also fast-tracked the inauguration of two committees to establish a National Accreditation Body and a National Quality Policy. In addition to that, Odumodu told stakeholders at the event that SON has refurbished its laboratory facilities in Enugu, Kaduna and Lekki in Lagos to complement the on-going construction of a new ultra-modern world class facility in the Ogba area of Lagos, which has capacity for 35 standard laboratories. The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, is also partnering with the SON for the construction of a world class metrology laboratory.
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