The Director General/ Chief Executive of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, held a collaborative meeting with the Director General of CEN-CENELEC Mrs. Elena Santiago and President of CENELEC, Mr. Stefano Caizouari, during the ongoing ISO annual meeting in Colombia.
DG/CE SON Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okereke at the ISO Annual Meeting in Columbia
CEN and CENELEC are international non – profit associations, that are officially recognized as European Standardization Organizations. CEN is the European Committee for Standardization that provide a platform for the development of European Standards and other specifications, while CENELEC is the European Committee for Electro-technical Standardization and is responsible for standardization in the electro-technical field.
The meeting reached an understanding on improving the existing relationship between SON and CEN-CENELEC in the area of standardisation.
Mrs. Elena Santiago who represents the CEN-CENELEC partnership explained that CEN mirrors ISO activities and is committed to using digitalisation to promote standardisation.
The CEN-CENELEC team promised to grant SON access to the CEN-CENELEC database of standard with observers’ status to standardisation activities and record. They further promised to include SON in the major European project in which more than 60% is focused on Africa.
In his response, the SON Director General welcomed the support from CEN-CENELEC, affirming that SON would fully utilize the access to CEN-CENELEC’s standards portal.
He reiterated SON’s dedication to enhancing Nigeria’s position in global standardization through this partnership.
The meeting ended with CEN-CENELEC delegation requesting that SON forward a mail detailing her demands for the CEN-CENELEC Board to consider at its November 2024 meeting.
The partnership between SON and CEN-CENELEC strengthens Nigeria’s involvement in international standardization. With access to European standards databases and participation in key projects, SON is set to influence global standards, particularly in Africa, while driving innovation and economic development through standardization efforts.
