How we're improving our monitoring, enforcements

The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mallam Farouk Salim said the Organization have deployed massive technology and collaboration with other agencies to ensure that it delivers its mandate on improving monitoring and enforcement of standard products in Nigeria.

He stated this on Thursday in Abuja during a capacity building workshop for Journalists Organization by SON which had the theme “Improved Synergy to Promote Standardization”

His words: “In almost a year of my leadership at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, we’ve stepped up out monitoring and enforcement mechanisms by ensuring technology plays a key role in tracking substandard groups and also collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure only How Standard products are brought into Nigeria, as such, a committee of 5 public servants was set up to look at procedures and systems so as to facilitate our operations.

“Also we have signed a couple of MOUs with states like Katsina and Kano to boost standards because we understand many countries usually use standardization as a trade barrier, as such the MOUs will ensure that manufacturers produce Standard goods and also ensure that the packaging is well standardized,” the SON DG said.

Asked how the SON have been able to improve arrest and enforcement, Mallam Salim stated that “Over 10 individuals faking to be manufacturers have been arrested and are at the point of prosecution while the enforcement team of SOM have been able to arrest illegal manufacturers of different utility materials in different states of the country,”

This according to the DG, necessitated the Organization to engage the steel industry and charging them to produce materials that are up to standard so as to avoid the constant reports of building collapse.”

Speaking on when the SON will return to the ports, the DG stated that it is a government decision and the Organizations have been functioning effectively even outside the ports.

He however stated that at the prerogative of the government, if they wish that the Organization returns to the ports, then they will.

Also speaking on Ease of Doing Business, one of the Organization’s Director, Nuhu Yahaya stated that the Organization is exploring ways of e-registration of products in line with presidential directive on ease of doing business, while pledging the commitment of SON in ensuring that MSMEs are made a priority in registering products and maintaining its mandate of ensuring Standards in all products produced within the country and those coming into the country.