The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) recently launched a first-of-its-kind mobile calibration vehicle and laboratory trucks to boost access to testing of Nigeria products at its laboratory complex in Ogba, Lagos.
The Director General/Chief Executive, Mallam Farouk Salim, in his keynote address, noted that standardisation is a powerful tool to increase productivity, guarantee the production of high-quality goods, better utilization of our resources, and remove trade barriers.
According to Salim, SON, as the national apex body of standards in Nigeria, has the responsibility to formulate standards that are relatable and market-driven. He stressed that the improvement of measurement accuracy is a core mandate of SON and the reason why SON is bringing Calibration vehicles and mobile laboratories to the doorsteps of its stakeholders.
The DG SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, and other Dignitaries inspect the Mobile Calibration Truck.
The DG said that a lot of work has been done in the area of quality regulations, enforcement, and compliance, but there is still a lot more required to be done to curb the menace of substandard goods in Nigeria.
The SON helmsman reiterated that SON is taking the work of standardisation to the doorstep of stakeholders to facilitate trade and industrial growth. He encouraged stakeholders to imbibe the culture of regular calibration, stating, “When operators get it right, more lives are saved, and economic development is assured.”
The Director General explained that with this state-of-the-art equipment, SON would be able to reach more remote areas, thereby guaranteeing economic growth at the grassroots.
He went on to enumerate the challenges posed by the proliferation of substandard products in the country, including declining foreign exchange, rising wastage, surging unemployment, and insecurity.
He explained that to respond to these challenges, SON has established more state offices and regional directorates across the federation, increased its testing facilities, and digitalized its activities to reduce bureaucracy.
The Director General further explained that all these measures are geared towards fighting the evil trend of the proliferation of substandard products in the country.
He stressed that despite all challenges, SON remains undeterred and is determined to win the war against substandard products.
Also speaking at the event, the Director National Meteorology Institute (NMI), Engr. Bede Obayi noted that this event marks another milestone in the history of SON.
He extolled the current administration for giving attention to doorstep calibration, explaining that this infrastructure support being provided by SON will go a long way to boost the Nigerian Quality Infrastructure Project, which will serve as a gateway to the Pan African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI), thereby strengthening the African route as regards the African Continent Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA).
According to the Director of NMI, the journey to take calibration services to Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises began in 2018 to enhance the meteorology value chain in Nigeria.
He explained that the NMI was established to disseminate measurement standards, traceability, and measurement accuracy. He thanked stakeholders who have already embraced meteorology and urged those yet to embrace it to take advantage of this visit to key into the process, explaining that the SON National Metrology Institute is the sole representative of Nigeria at the International Bureau for Weight and Measures (BIPM).
Goodwill messages were received from various stakeholders present at the event. Representatives of the Manufacturer’s Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other private organisations spoke of the way SON has facilitated the ease of doing business for them and encouraged the organization to continue to keep up the good work, pledging to support the organization whenever the need arises.
