Yemisi Izuora
Producers of agro allied products in Nigeria have received requisite skills and tools to enable them compete with their counterparts.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) which extended the empowerment exercise notes that the move is in line with the present administration’s plans to diversify the nation’s economy away from hydro carbon resources.
The Director-General/Chief Executive, of SON, Faruok Salim, disclosed that Nigeria’s agro-allied products are sellable across the world, insisting that the body would not compromise its standards in its effort to make sure locally made goods are competitive at the global scene.
He said the organisation, in a bid to support the economy diversification agenda of the present administration will continue to intensify efforts to sensitise producers of agro-allied products across the country on strict compliance with SON’s standards sellable across the world.
Represented by the Director Southwest, SON,Talatu Ethan, at a workshop titled, Standard Adherence: Catalyst for Trade held in Osogbo, he said the organisation is at the fore of driving diversification into agricultural products as a means of generating revenue.
“Nigeria’s products are having global acceptance, the Federal Government and regulatory bodies are working with stakeholders to ensure that whatever they produce can meet up with the specifications of the foreign countries,” said.
He stressed: “The objective of this workshop is to create awareness on the importance of standards to ensure that the manufacturers, producers and processors meet up with the minimum requirements of the standards, we have standards for Garri, honey, dry and smoked fish etc. and looking at the focus of the current administration which is food security, the role of SON is to train, educate and create awareness among the agro-allied sector on quality production.”
He pointed out that the objective of the workshop is to create awareness on the importance of standards to ensure that the manufacturers, producers and processors meet up with the minimum requirements of the standards
“We have standards for Garri, honey, dry and smoked fish e.t.c and looking at the focus of the current administration which is food security, the role of SON is to train, educate and create awareness among the agro-allied sector on quality production,” he averred.
In his words: “Mandatory conformity assessment, will prepare our local producer to produce products that meet up with the minimum requirement of the standards so that the products would be able to compete with foreign products, our duty is to encourage and support them for production of quality and safe products.”
Also speaking, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Osun state chapter, Sulaiman Araokanmi, described the workshop as timely in a bid to empower agro-allied producers across the country.
According to him, the programme has further widened their understanding on the entailment of agro- allied production and exposed every producer to reason why their jobs should not be handled with levity.
He stressed that the workshop has equally opened their eyes to discover unknown things that will serve as guidance to them to succeed in their various engagements