By Felix Khanoba
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has emerged as one of the top-performing government agencies in the latest compliance rankings in ease of doing business in the country.
According to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Secretariat’s 2024 Half-Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report, covering January to June 2024, SON secured the second position with a compliance score of 78.2% among twenty Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
In a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations, SON, Mrs. Foluso Bolaji, it was noted that SON’s performance follows closely behind the Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB), which led the rankings with 80.1%, and ahead of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), which scored 74.8%.
The report highlights the progress MDAs have made in adhering to Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and advancing digitization efforts, despite ongoing challenges with bureaucratic processes and consequence management.
Mrs. Bolaji emphasized that the outlook for public service efficiency remains optimistic, particularly under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which has shown a strong commitment to creating a business-friendly environment.
The report also revealed a significant improvement in overall MDA rankings, with over 60% now scoring above average, compared to the previous period where only 30% achieved such scores.
The Efficiency Compliance Ranking assesses MDAs based on their ability to deliver services in a timely, cost-effective, and customer-focused manner.
The evaluation considers adherence to SLAs, cost management, procedural efficiency, the One Government directive, and instances of Default Approval as outlined in the Business Facilitation Act of 2022. Agencies that consistently perform well in these areas achieve high scores in efficiency reports, reflecting their strict adherence to service guidelines and their success in meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
Mrs. Bolaji also highlighted the unwavering commitment of SON’s Director General and Chief Executive, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, to align the organization’s mandate with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for an industrialized nation. She credited the dedication and hard work of SON staff in maintaining the agency’s high performance, particularly in its ongoing efforts to eliminate substandard products from the market.
