The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has stated that it would increase its level of collaborations with stakeholders in the industrial sector to combat influx of substandard goods into the country.
The director general, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, on the sidelines SON's 50th anniversary in Lagos, said the standards body would also increase its level of campaigns and engagement with the public to fish out and prosecute peddlers of substandard goods in the nation.
He added that, in the fight against substandard and falsified products, the global substandard and falsified product industry in 2021 was estimated to be $4.3 trillion, lamenting that, the overwhelming figure, justifies the need for a robust collaboration between SON and Industry to fight this scourge.
"In this regard, I urge Industry to invest substantially in brand protection activities to safeguard their intellectual property and associated brands against counterfeiters, copyright pirates and producers of substandard products. Rest assured that SON is determined to rid our marketplace of these substandard and falsified products.
stride into the Next 50 years and beyond, I solemnly declare, that Industry shall find in SON, a faithful and loyal partner," he assured.
He also advocated for the industry to remain steadfast in compliance with standards and government regulations as well as give maximum cooperation to SON in various initiatives intended to strengthen the organisation.
According to him, the fight against substandard goods is a collective effort, pointing out that the agency is on a national assignment to educate and engage the public and industries to reduce the influx of substandard goods to the barest minimum.
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He however, stated that in the last two years, SON had concentrated on some critical areas that adds value to the industry which he listed as strengthening the National Metfology System to raise profile of the National Metrology Institute, Enugu as a significant component in Nigeria; faithful implementation of the Nigerian National Standardisation Strategy as the framework of the development and publication of National Standards and increasing SON's technical competence in conformity assessment services through the accreditation of our Product Certification Department.
The SON boss added that, as Nigeria keeps pace with global developments, it would require new skills to manage evolving technical changes, pointing out the need to change the institutional structure for education and training.
The minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mrs Evelyn Ngige, lauded SON for 50 remarkable years of valuable contribution to industrialisation.
He stated that the SON had vital role to play in facilitating trade and guaranteeing that excellence and quality standards is maintained in the face of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Adebayo tasked the agency to remain committed to ensuring quality of all products and services in the country.
On his part, the former director general, SON, Joseph Odumodu, extolled the director general for investing in its people, adding that, since he left, the agency has continued to record positive progress, saying, efforts of the present SON management is showing a movement reflecting a thinking management.
