Ken Okeke
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has re-emphasized the need to promote standardization which it described as key to achieve the country’s industrialization objective.
This was even as the agency noted that if the country’s industries are doing well, the value of the naira will not fall.
The Director General of the SON, Mallam Farouk Salim made the remark at a stakegolders’ sensitization workshop/MANCAP certification presentation, where he emphasised the need for standardisation of products and services for a better economy.
He urged Nigerians to appreciate and patronise made in Nigeria products for the good of all.
“Other countries make emphasis on products made in their country. So why Nigerians do the same, why must we patronise other countries to the detriment of ours”
He noted that the industry cannot survive substandard goods, saying
without standards, there won’t be industries.
“If our industries are doing well, naira will not fail. Withouts standards, the industry will not survive.
“The standard organisation of Nigeria is the heart of the industry.
Without industry we will not exist. The sooner we realize that the fight is for all of us the better for the country.”
He said in the previous years, the manufacturers associations of Nigeria was at cross purposes with the SON based on simple basic things that may not necessarily be even important to the industry,but now, the association has been able to understand the purpose better and improve on some policies. “They can still do better. The industry and the regulators are suppose to synergize, as the industry is the heart of the nation.
“So the industry is very important to the development and the dignity of a nation.
“We cry a lot about the falling Naira our indices are doing very well. Our currency will not fail if we base our income on our commodity, the chances are that even the industry will not survive, because the naira will keep going down. The dollar will keep going up.
“We need to buy made and consume made in Nigeria products and do away with substandard products in the country. It’s a matter of life and death issue for our nation. It’s a life and death issue for the industry. Every industrialist here, understands what substandard good does to their business and their bottom line.
“Some importers bring in substandard goods, some manufacture standard goods in the country and some consumers buy substandard because of the cheapness, these are dangerous to our lives. It’s a chains thing.
Even the effect is a chain thing.
“When an industry closes as a result of fire due to substandard cables, about 1000 people lose their jobs. When 1000 people lose their jobs like 100,000 individuals are now in trouble because in our society there is hardly one person here who does not have more than 10 people directly or indirectly feeding from him or her.
” So the industry cannot not survive substandard goods.
The keynote speaker, Chinyere V. Egwuonwu, CEO/ Lead Consultant Pearlcee Consult Ltd.
disclosed that Nigeria is one of the markets with substandard products.
She lamented that the country lost #15 trillion annually to substandard products, adding that the country was fast becoming a dumping ground for substandard goods, which was threatening the economy.
She called on stakeholders to work together to stop the trend.
“We all have a role to play, the fight is for everyone. The public and private partnership is needed to fight the menace.”
She called on govt to make policies that would stop the trend of substandard products in the country.
The importer should stop importing substandard goods, the local producers should meet up with standards and the consumers should not patronize low quality goods. Tell your neighbours. Your see something, say something.”
The high point of the event was presentation of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) to various deserving companies.
