The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) held a one-day sensitization workshop for stakeholders of the building and construction sector to educate the forum on the challenges faced by the sector due to the incessant collapse of buildings and structures deduced from the use of substandard products and quacks.
Addressing the audience, the Director General SON, Mallam Farouk Salim spoke on the vision of SON as a Regulatory Agency tasked with ensuring the eradication of substandard products and the assurance of quality to the Citizens of the Nation.
Presentation of certificate of participation by SA/DG
The DG, represented by the Director Lagos Operations, Mrs. Yeside Akinlabi, mentioned the numerous result-oriented policies achieved by SON, such as the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP), and to sanitize the Country from substandard products and to protect the Local Industries as well as strengthening Consumer confidence. He advised Stakeholders in the Aluminum, Roofing Sheet, and Paint Sectors to adhere strictly to standard quality parameters during production.
According to him, “compliance to the standard requirement qualifies the product for certification as the Organization’s mandate is not limited to the elaboration of Standards alone but equally creating an enabling business environment for local business to thrive.
Salim, therefore, enjoined the Stakeholders to avail themselves of the opportunity created by this interactive forum to ask questions and brainstorm on how to rid Nigeria of adulterated products.
Also speaking at the forum was the Senior Special Adviser to Director General, Chief Emeka Duru, who thanked the Stakeholders and urged them to strategize and support SON in the call for ensuring all substandard products are removed from all corners of the Country.’
Emeka Duru gave an example of the aluminum roofing sheet and paints as materials that are subjected to the elements of weather such as rain, sun, and thunderstorm, urging that if these products don’t conform to the requirements of the Standard, they will lead to corrosion in the building materials.
Group photo
Chief Duru urged the stakeholders to comply with the relevant requirement of the standard without compromise, as the long arm of the law will apprehend manufacturers of fake and substandard products in the Country.
Subsequently, a paper presentation was delivered by Engr. Enebi S. Onucheyo, Director, National Metrology Institute Enugu, on – “Quality Assurance Requirements for The Manufacturers, Importers, and Retailers of Galvanized Primary and Secondary Aluminum Roofing Sheet,” which was equally followed by a presentation on Paint Safety, Quality & Standardization by Mrs. Theresa Ojomo, Deputy Director, and Group Head Chemical Technology Standards Development Department.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the African Steel Mills Ltd representative, Aluminum Roofing Sheet Secondary Aluminum Producers Association, and Business Membership Organisation (BMO).
Stakeholders were presented with a certificate of attendance at the end of the sensitization exercise.
