The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, has warned that Nigeria cannot achieve lasting economic stability without making product quality and standardisation a priority.
Okeke, in a statement issued by SON’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Ethan Talatu, on Thursday in Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, said the country’s reform gains must be backed by quality-driven local production.
“A nation cannot consume its way to greatness; it must produce its way there. However, production without standardisation is an exercise in futility,” he said.
He described substandard products as a drain on the economy, a threat to consumers and a major risk to Nigeria’s reputation in international markets.
According to him, SON has intensified enforcement of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) as part of efforts to convert economic reforms into sustainable stability for businesses and consumers.
Okeke said SON had expanded its testing capacity from 23 to 52 internationally accredited parameters, while its Mass and Balance Calibration Laboratory secured EGAC ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation.
The agency has also commissioned laboratory and office complexes in Minna and Sokoto, bringing testing and calibration services closer to businesses and reducing delays for manufacturers.
On digitalisation, Okeke said SON had introduced the Digital Standards Platform, Electronic Product Identification Scheme, Product Identification Scheme and Special Economic Zones Conformity Assessment Programme to improve access to standards and strengthen product tracking.
He disclosed that 62 new Nigerian Industrial Standards had been introduced, while more than 220 products from 131 Nigerian companies had secured certification to adopted African Standards.
The development, he said, would position Nigerian manufacturers to compete more effectively under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
SON has also installed a 200kW solar power system at its Ogba laboratory complex in Lagos to support uninterrupted operations.
Okeke called for stronger collaboration among SON, the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority and security agencies, particularly through real-time intelligence sharing to tackle substandard and counterfeit products.
“When you see the SON quality mark, you are looking at a shield of safety and a stamp of national pride,” he said.
He urged manufacturers to maintain quality, traders to reject fake products and Nigerians to support locally made goods.
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