Standards Organisation of Nigeria digitises services to curb inflow of substandard products

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has disclosed that in a bid to curtail the inflow of substandard products into the country, the Agency services have been digitalised.

Speaking at the weekend during a workshop organised for the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN), the Director General of SON, Ifeanyi Okeke, said the organisation has “provided the enabling tools to upgrade our services to an enviable spot through digitalisation.

“The staff are also part of the success story, as they worked tirelessly all through challenges to ensure the country does not become a dumping ground for substandard products as well as supporting local productions.”

Represented by Mrs. Foluso Bolaji, the Director of Public Relations, the DG stated that “we are committed to improving our communication with stakeholders at all levels to get greater buy-in into our programs and activities that will be targeted at their satisfaction, protection, welfare, and positive growth of the nation’s economy.

“You are all aware of the current rating by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) for its 2024 Half Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliant Report for January 2024 to June 2024. The organisation came in second with 78.2%, among twenty (20) Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for transparency in service delivery.

“You will agree with me that before now, our responsibilities and operations have always been confused with those of our sister agencies to the extent that Nigerians criticise us. We are not above criticism, I must say.

“Permit me to make an assertion at this moment: as clearly spelt out, where our mandates stop, other agencies’ duties and responsibilities begin. As the nation’s standards body, we provide standards, we regulate, we ensure quality, and (to an extent) we enforce violations within the provisions of the Act that established us,” he stated.

Okeke noted that “we have made available a crop of well-seasoned trainers who will be taking you on the various initiatives by the organisation to support local productions and boost trade in line with international best practices.

“So, I urge you to take advantage of this training exercise to take a good reading at the law that established the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON Act 2015) one more time and digest our mandate for a better understanding, reportage, and separation of our mandate from that of our sister agencies.”