The European Union has made twelve million Euros (about N2.5 billion) available through United Nations Industrial Development, UNIDO, for the establishment of National Accreditation System in Nigeria. National Accreditation System is a body that is competent to carry out specific tasks in terms of the accreditation for conformity assessment, calibration and good laboratory practice.
UNIDO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Patrick Kormawa, disclosed this during Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum organised by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, in Lagos to elect Board Members for the take off of the project.
“With the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, SON, Consumer Protection Council, Organised Private Sector and others, we will be implementing a EUR 12 million project (funded by EU) to create and operationalise a National Quality Infrastructure (Standards, Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Metrology) for Nigeria,” said Kormawa. Represented by Dr. Raymond Tavares, Industrial Development Officer/ Deputy Country, he said: “We trust that this project and all ongoing quality efforts and initiatives will lead to business development, effective and competitive trade, as well as job creation in Nigeria.
While urging the Federal Government and other stakeholders to be committed to the project, he said Nigeria was long overdue to have a national accreditation system and UNIDO is willing to help the country to actualise this exercise.
He added that Nigeria should lead the system and integrate other countries in ECOWAS into the system.
“Regarding trade development, in fact, the accreditation capacity of Nigeria shall lead to more credibility on quality efforts, quality potential and quality content of Nigerian products.
“We trust Nigeria would then appropriately occupy its leading place in the West African trade, and increase its competitiveness against currently imported products.
He said beyond helping Nigeria to have standards for infrastructures, the system would make Nigerian products to be competitive, of quality and generate jobs in the industrial sector.
Dr. Samuel Ortom, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, said: It’s a welcome development.”
“The accreditation system will help our products to be accepted globally. Today, we have the responsibility of ensuring that we diversify from oil economy to non-oil economy. One challenge that has been facing us is the issue of standards and I believe this initiative will help our products to be exported to other countries,” he said. SON Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, said Nigeria will benefit tremendously from the establishment of a National Quality Infrastructure of which accreditation is key.
He cited the examples of developed and developing economies like the United Kingdom, USA, Canada and South Africa where the establishment of quality infrastructures were championed by the National Standards Institute. He said that SON is prepared to play its part actively in ensuring same in Nigeria within the shortest possible time.
