As Nigeria weekend joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Standard Day with the theme: “Shared Vision for a Better World”, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, said Nigeria is adopting international standards on its product and services.
To this end, SON also disclosed that it has prosecuted and secured jail terms for eight persons over nonconformity of products since January this year.
Speaking in Lagos during a Walk organised by SON which kicked-off from its premises in the Ogba area of Lagos to mark the Day, the Director, Human Resources, SON, Timothy Abner, said the theme of this year’s celebration was very clear as it was a vision that was shared with the rest of the world for better standards in the whole world.
“The world is moving towards having common activities and products, which is why countries are sharing a vision to make sure that the same standard exists wherever in the world.
“Goods move from one country to another and there are international standards to ensure that such goods are accepted wherever they go. In Nigeria, we are working to key into this vision by ensuring we have standards for everything,” he stated.
He warned that if Nigeria does not move along with the rest of the world, its economy will face some challenges, especially as other countries will key into these standards to flood Nigeria with their goods.
Abner said that achieving standards is essential for Nigeria, adding that everyone must share the same vision of ensuring international standards.
Also speaking, SON Director of Standard Development, Yahaya Bukar, said the walk is to unite and fight the menace of substandard products flooding the markets, which results in unproductiveness and loss of money.
He said that SON inspects factories daily to ensure standards and sensitise the people about the importance of maintaining standards.
Bukar noted that those who do not comply with standards are prosecuted as all the products manufactured in Nigeria are expected to comply with the requirement of the mandatory conformity assessment programme.
On his part, the Director Inspectorate and Compliance Department, Mr Manji Lawal, who said the standard was very important in life, disclosed that the organisation has prosecuted and secured jail terms for 8 persons this year alone while other cases are pending.
Lawal explained that the compliance and inspectorate department carries out inspection of products, mostly imported, and then ensures that they comply with the requirements of the standards.
He said that standard in every aspect of life was important because, without standard, there would be no basis for judging the quality of the product. He however identified smuggling as a major challenge to eliminating substandard products in the country.
Corroborating their views, the Director of Public Relations, Foluso Bolaji, noted that the whole world was adopting one standard so that goods moved from Nigeria to any part of the world, would be the same.
Bolaji said that the advantage of these was that Nigerians could embrace standards so that when they subscribe to the mandatory conformity assessment programmes, they could export their products in line with the president’s theme on a home-grown economy.
Source: Vanguard
