NIGERIA – The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has officially unveiled its official mobile calibration trucks and measuring equipment as part of its efforts to promote made-in-Nigeria goods under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
Speaking during the launch, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), asserted that market penetration is essential and that, in the absence of it, Nigeria will only be able to gaze at the 1.4 billion-person market in Africa.
“One thing all over the world that has been acknowledged is that. So, for us, today marks a milestone in our quality infrastructure programme in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the vehicles would enable access to even the remotest of areas to ensure no company misses out on the measurement services.
“For us, it is important because we are not only going to ensure the quality and the right quantum of our products but for buyers to know what they are buying and for the sellers to know what they are selling.
“It is a win-win situation for us and we have said over again that it is in our interest to give SON the right support needed,” Segun said.
The Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, also spoke during the event. He stated that moving forward, the agency would engage in public awareness campaigns to promote and safeguard safety, highlighting how crucial calibration is to raising the overall quality of life.
“As we are all aware, the plague caused by substandard products to our nation cannot be over-emphasized as seen in declining foreign exchange, surging unemployment, and insecurity. In addition, of course, the closing of factories,” he said.
The SON boss claimed that in order to deal with this issue, his administration has vowed to improve current defenses against substandard goods nationwide.
In an effort to promote industrialization and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, he also disclosed plans for the standards body to launch a huge calibration service campaign across the nation.
Salim explained that under his leadership, the standards body would be expanding its services through mobile laboratory facilities.
He explained that by ingraining the culture of routine equipment calibration, operators in the industry would get it right, lives would be saved, and economic development is assured.
He asserts that SON’s cutting-edge mobile collaboration services will enable the nation to better serve rural areas, which will boost economic growth and calibration advantages.
According to Bede Obayi, Director of the Nigeria Metrology Institute (NMI), SON, the journey to bring calibration services to MSMEs and other important stakeholders in their locations began in 2008 and has continued to this day in SON’s quest to improve the metrology value chain in Nigeria.
He claimed that the NMI was set up to disseminate measurement standards and provide traceability and accuracy of measurements to various industries, laboratories, trade, and commercial entities, including aviation, oil and gas, agriculture, health, and education, as well as the automotive, mining, and power sectors.
“This means that metrology is life and life begets all developments and advancements in technology toward better living.
“The scope of NMI of SON is varied and significant as the sole representative of Nigeria at the International Bureau for Weights and Measures (BIPM) situated in France, for all world metrology matters (scientific and industrial),” he said.
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