The Standard Organisation of Nigeria has harped on the need for it to be allowed to return to the nation’s seaports.
SON said it has a critical role to play in preventing the influx of substandard products into Nigeria for a sustainable future.
The Director General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, stated this on Wednesday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, during the 2024 Strategic Leadership Retreat of the body, with the theme: “Service Optimization, Greater Effectiveness and Revenue Enhancement for a Renewed Future.”
Okeke revealed that SON was working closely with the agency’s supervising Minister to bring it back permanently to the ports to perform its constitutional duties, which, according to him, do not clash with those of other agencies like Nigeria Customs Service and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
He said: “SON must return to the port to prevent bad products from coming into the country in the first place.
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“It is working closely with the supervising Minister to bring us back permanently at the ports.”
The DG also revealed that SON, with the support of the supervising ministry, was working towards the amendment of its 2015 Act to reflect the current realities and international best practices.
He further revealed that the organisation was working in partnership with the presidential initiative on Compressed Natural Gas to ensure that there is availability of standard products and the implementation of a standard policy.
Okeke said: “It doesn’t just end with the standard.
“We also have to talk about the implementation.
“SON, on its own, is collaborating with the relevant agencies.
“We have the Nigeria Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigeria Automotive Design and Development Council, and Presidential Initiative on CNG.
“We are all collaborating to ensure a successful roll out of the CNG projects.”
In an interview, Anietie Umoessien, Director, Industrial Inspectorate Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Nura Abba Rimi, at the event, said SON plays a critical role in protecting the interests of consumers, stressing that they must strive for excellence in their service delivery
According to Umoessien: “We want SON to be a new SON, an e-SON, a SON that has a product authentication mark.
“The main function of SON is standardisation of products and you see with the new Presidential Initiative for CNG, SON had already standardised for CNG products, about 87 of them.
“So we would carry SON up to the next optimal level to be able to compete with other products in the world.
“Funding is one of the major challenges of SON.
“So we encourage the Federal Government to give SON more funds for them to be able to carry out their assignments like the product authentication mark, which is a good initiative.
“You have your product, authenticate it, and that is it.
“There will be no issue of fake iron rod, fake products, you authenticate it directly.”