Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) says the Agency’s promotion of standards ensures reliability and growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and large enterprises.
The Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, said this at the ongoing 36th Enugu International Trade Fair, with the theme: “Developing Nigerian Industrial Sector/SMEs for Economic Advancement and Global Recognition.”
Represented by the Head, SON South-East Regional Operations, Mr. Chukwuma Aharanwa, the director-general emphasised on the importance of embracing standards and standardisation.
According to him, SON has introduced new policies and infrastructure such as the Product Identification Scheme (PIS), the redesigning of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) Logo, the Electronic Demand and Electronic Receipt (EDER) and the Electronic MANCAP application process.
“With the new policies and infrastructures, SON is set to realise to the fullest the ease of doing business for MSMEs as well as large enterprises.
“SON policies are geared towards promoting value addition in the oil and non-oil sectors of the economy and a conducive business climate for investment inflow, industrialisation and ensuring made in Nigeria products compete favourably with other products in the global market.
“This is with a view to maintaining Nigeria as an economic hub in Africa through Standardisation and Quality Assurance,” he said.
Okeke noted that the MANCAP Logo redesign is an effort to capture attention of consumers towards the sense of confidence and quality assurance with a glance at the logo in relation to organisation’s Standardisation Policies and high quality landscape.
He enumerated and introduced the stakeholders to other SON products and services including: SONPIS, EDER, E-MANCAP process, SONCAP, training services, calibration services, laboratory services and consumer complaints.
Okeke called for collaboration with all stakeholders to foster a conducive and progressive business environment.
Earlier, the Head of Operations, National Metrology Institute (NMI), Mr Samuel Ayuba, enlightened stakeholders on the importance of embracing calibration and right measures and weight in the business and manufacturing industries.
“As the apex institute for Metrology and Instrumentation in Nigeria, the NMI is available to offer calibration services in various fields of Metrology including flow, Chemistry, Length, Mass, Pressure and Electrical Metrology,” Ayuba said.
The State Coordinator, SON Enugu, Mr Peter Ameh, who led visitors to tour around SON pavilion and some selected companies’ pavilion to show them the MANCAP Logo on certified products, said MANCAP had helped to better patronage for many products in the country.
Ameh stressed the need for new products to get MANCAP and SONPIS certification to open them up for regional and international markets.
In a welcome address, the President of Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Chief Odiega Jideonwo, applauded SON for ensuring trust, reliability and faith in all made-in-Nigeria goods and services.
“SON has been consistant as well as emphasis and focus on investors and businesses to get it right and be the best quality and standard internationally,” Jideonwo said.
