By Wilson Adekumola
Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Farouk Salim, has charged manufacturers to comply with assurance standards and carry out necessary quality assurance procedures for the best quality to strengthen economic growth.
Salim gave the charge during a one-day general sensitization workshop organised by SON with the theme, ‘Promoting Exports and Economic Growth via Standardization and Quality Assurance’, in Akwa Ibom state.
Salim, represented by the South-South Regional Director, Mr. Usman Mohammed, pointed out that the major problem with the rejection of Nigeria’s exports is due to a lack of standards.
He insisted that for products from manufacturers in the country to be accepted in international markets, they must ensure the quality and standard of the products meet global standards.
Earlier, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of SON, Lawal Ismaila, explained that until stakeholders embrace international best practices as done in other parts of the world, Nigeria will continue to be left behind in development, noting that products, goods and services will not be acceptable globally.
While noting that SON developed the standards to remove technical barriers to trade at national and international levels, he said to enable businesses to become international champions, there was a need to create jobs for youths, promote economic growth and prevent Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground as well as grow businesses from small to medium, large and international.
The Director of Nigerian Metrology Institute, Enugu, Enebi Omusheyo, while giving his sensitization lecture noted that standardization is significant for international trade, as it enhances quality assurance and promotes fair competition.
He stressed that failing to comply with standards is what causes some goods to be rejected in their destination countries, saying that Nigeria would be great if it engaged more in exports than imports.
The Akwa Ibom State Government commended the collaborative role of SON, in the growth of enterprises in the state, describing the agency as a valuable partner in the actualisation of the ARISE Agenda.
The Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong, who was represented by the Director of Public Relations in the Ministry, Mrs. Grace Akpan, hailed SON on playing a key role in providing the recommended international best practices in standards and quality assurance for products and other offerings by enterprises in the competitive business markets within and outside the state and country at large.
