By Felix Khanoba
The Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, has announced the deployment of advanced digital tools by the agency to improve the standard conformity of locally manufactured products.
Speaking at a training session for members of the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Abuja on Friday, Dr. Okeke revealed that SON has introduced various standards infrastructures, including digital applications and certifications, to ensure products in Nigeria adhere to established quality benchmarks.
Dr. Okeke, who was represented by the Director of Public Relations, Mrs. Foluso Bolaji, emphasized that these initiatives are designed to support local production and enhance trade in line with international best practices.
He highlighted the significant progress SON has made in these areas, attributing the success to the agency’s commitment to digitalization.
Dr. Okeke also pointed to SON’s recent commendation by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in its 2024 Half-Year Transparency and Efficiency Compliance Report, where the agency was ranked second among twenty Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with a score of 78.2% for transparency in service delivery.
“This did not come easy as the Organisation has provided the enabling tools to upgrade our services to an enviable spot through digitalization.
” The staff are also part of the success story as they worked tirelessly all through challenges to ensure the country is does not become a dumping ground for substandard products as well as supporting local productions,” he said.
The SON Director General reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate as outlined in the SON Act, to contribute positively to Nigeria’s economic development.
“We are dedicated to improving communication with stakeholders at all levels to gain greater support for our programmes, which are focused on protecting consumer welfare and fostering economic growth,” he said.
Addressing the long-standing confusion between SON’s responsibilities and those of other regulatory bodies, Dr. Okeke clarified, “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 said.
He encouraged the participants to use the training opportunity to deepen their understanding of the SON Act, 2015, and to help the public better appreciate the role of SON in the broader regulatory framework.
The training session aimed to enhance industry correspondents’ understanding of SON’s activities and equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to report accurately on the organization’s initiatives.
