The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has offered to collaborate with stakeholders in the health care delivery sector in Nigeria, to enhance the quality of equipment, machinery and services available in the sector.
SON Director General, Farouk Salim made the offer recently in a goodwill message to the 45th National Convention of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), held at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Engr. Ugochukwu Nwachukwu, who represented the SON Chief Executive said the offshore conformity assessment programme for SON regulated imports (SONCAP) provides a window of import permit for raw materials, equipment and machinery while asking stakeholders to take optimum advantage of it to improve the quality of products offered to Nigerians.
“Local manufacturing of medical equipment and machinery stand to gain a lot in accuracy of measurements from the calibration services being offered by the SON promoted National Metrology Institute (NMI) located in Enugu with outreaches across the country.” he said.
Mallam Salim invited all public and private sector organisations in the country to take advantage of the SON internationally accredited Management Systems Certification services to guarantee improvements in their processes and systems in line with international best practices.
According to him, the internationally accredited Laboratory Services being offered by SON provides seamless international acceptance for all commodities and products tested at very competitive prices, especially for members of the organised private sector to promote National self-sufficiency, increased export and foreign exchange earnings.
The SON DG expressed hope that the insights to be gained from the knowledge and wealth of experience in indigenous drug manufacturing and success of the Keynote Speaker, Dr. Stella Okoli, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd., in spite of the daunting challenges, would propel many of the Pharmacy students into local manufacturing and entrepreneurship to create more job opportunities and greater wealth for Nigeria.
SON Director General, Farouk Salim
In his words “I wish to challenge you all as Students of Pharmacy to begin to focus your minds beyond the production and administration of drugs to the business models required to sustain pharmaceutical studies, practices and research to underscore your key role in the health care delivery sector”.
Mallam Salim enjoined the Pharmacists to fully internalize adherence to standards and quality, embodied in the ethics of the Pharmacy profession, as according to him, they will have the responsibility of continuously meeting international best practices in the global village.
“We at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria are available to provide you with support in the area of standards development and placing at your disposal our network of relationships locally and internationally to enhance your knowledge in the course of your study”, he said.
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