SON seeks manufacturers’ support to check substandard products

The Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mallam Farouk Salim, has called for collaboration between stakeholders in industrial and manufacturing business to collaborate with SON to reduce the influx of substandard products into the country.

Salim, who was represented by his Senior Special Adviser, Emeka, Duru, made the call in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, during a one-day stakeholders sensitisation forum with the theme “Standardisation: Catalysts for industrialisation”.

According to Salim, “Manufacturers should patronise SON by collaborating with it to reduce the influx of substandard products, share information with SON on substandard products. let us be kind to humanity in all that we do to help save life.

“Standardisation is a global issue and Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in the comity of nations if we desire economic development.”

He said efforts were geared towards the cooperation of all manufacturers, consumers, service providers and government at all levels with SON in this global subject.

He pointed out that SON has the vision to improve lives through standardisation and quality assurance, saying that its mission was to promote consumer confidence and global competitiveness of Nigerian products and services.

Director, Anambra State Operational Directorate, Pedro Ebenezer, who highlighted SON’s programmes, urged participants to always report any suspicious colleague to the appropriate authorities for prosecution and fine.

The resource person for the sensitisation forum, Dr Festus Ukwueze, while delivering a lecture on the topic: “SON Act as a pathway to industrial growth and development of Nigeria”, said that if the provisions of the SON Act are well implemented, it will boost domestic of consumers products.

Ukwueze said that it would help to eradicate the importation of fake substandard products and conserve foreign exchange which will be invested into industrial activities.

Participants during the question session urged SON to up its game in service delivery to the people.