The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) yesterday introduced new guidelines to strengthen its Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) and checkmate the influx of substandard products into the country.
Director-General of SON, Dr Joseph Odumodu, said this in Lagos during a Stakeholders' Forum on the New SONCAP Guidelines in Lagos.
Odumodu said that the review of the scheme was in line with the Federal Government's Transformation Agenda, to create a healthy environment, as well as wealth and employment opportunities for the people.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) yesterday introduced new guidelines to strengthen its Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) and checkmate the influx of substandard products into the country.
Director-General of SON, Dr Joseph Odumodu, said this in Lagos during a Stakeholders' Forum on the New SONCAP Guidelines in Lagos.
Odumodu said that the review of the scheme was in line with the Federal Government's Transformation Agenda, to create a healthy environment, as well as wealth and employment opportunities for the people.
“SONCAP is a flagship programme of SON, a clearing document of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is also critical to our campaign of zero tolerance to substandard products.
“The expectations of Nigerians have heightened and they have been constantly calling to make their observations. We cannot afford to disappoint them.
“It is in line with the President’s Transformation Agenda to ensure the creation of a friendly environment for investment to thrive, a background for employment generation and wealth creation.
“This will help to reduce the influx of substandard products into the country and enable Nigerian products compete favourably both in the domestic and international markets, and assist to boost industrialisation,” he said.
The SON boss said that conformity to approved standards was important to the growth of the national economy and industrialisation.
Odumodu said every importer must, therefore, have a product certificate and a SONCAP endorsement.
“As regulators, we are here to say that we will not tolerate lapses on the part of the importers who are not ready to obey the country’s import guidelines.
“They are undermining the integrity and essence of SON and its mandatory roles; they should understand that whenever we say something, we mean it.
“But I want to let you know that our 2013 stance is to reduce the incidence of substandard products by 30 per cent, and we want all hands to be on deck to achieve this target,” he added.
The SON chief executive stressed that all products must, therefore, be registered and a code given to all importers because the e-Product registration scheme is in partnership with SONCAP.
Over 300 importers attended the forum
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