SON set to cracks down on substandard products in Nigerian markets

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) will employ market surveillance, compliance monitoring and factory inspection to sanitize the Nigeria markets of substandard products.

Director General, SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke made this disclosure on Thursday in Minna, during the presentation of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificates to 19 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Niger State.

“The volume of substandard products that find their way into the country and even those that are produced locally will be constantly monitored by way of market surveillance, compliance monitoring and factory inspection to sanitize the importers and manufacturers of substandard products.

“I wish to use this medium to encourage every patriotic Nigerian to patronize only SON-certified ade-in-Nigeria products with MANCAP logos.

“Doing this will guarantee your satisfaction and in the long run will ensure the sustainability and growth of the Nigerian economy.

“I am appealing to all stakeholders to willingly partner with SON for technical assistance where necessary and to help rid Nigeria of substandard products,” he said.

Okeke stressed that compliance action would be stepped up to ensure that the use of the Nigerian Mark of Quality (NMQ) logo was compulsory and complied with for every product.

He, however, explained that the mandatory product certification scheme was established to ensure that locally manufactured products provide the required degree of satisfaction to consumers through compliance with government policies on standardization and conformity assessment.

According to him, “We have also been awarding the MANCAP certificates to products that have successfully met the requirements as stipulated in the Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS).

“When we award the MANCAP certificate to a company, we are attesting that such company’s brand or brands conform to standards and have undergone intensive conformity assessment.”

Similarly, Hajiya Hauwa Yusuf, the State
Coordinator, SON, said that the 19 companies were issued the MANCAP certificates for 24 products.

Yusuf said that following the issuance of the certificates, SON would undertake periodic factory inspections, sampling and laboratory testing to ensure that the company’s products would continue to meet the requirements of the relevant standards that earned them the certification.

She said that the certified products are to be revalidated every three years.

The State Coordinator, SON, lamented that the country’s markets are still flooded with unsatisfied, unregistered and substandard products, warning that the organisation would continue to tackle unscrupulous business owners til they desist from their unwholesome practices.

Also, Mr Bello Noma, State Coordinator, of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, said that the MANCAP certificate was one of the criteria for companies to win consumers’ confidence locally and also export their products abroad.

Noma urged producers and processors of farm products to work toward standards to export their products abroad.

Alhaji Hamza Bello, Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment assured SON that the ministry would continue to partner with it to industrialize the state.

Responding on behalf of the awardees, Hajiya Amina Junaid, Managing Director, Minajunaid Integrated Services, assured SON that the recognition would spur them to always produce standard products.

Some of the certified products include fertilizers, fortified sweet potato flour, white bread, kuli kuli, sleeping pillows, foam, rice, ginger powder, shea butter and coconut flake among others.