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SON seeks product certification

By on April 10, 2016

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria says it has introduced the Standards and Certification Initiative to promote sustainable growth of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the country.

It said the scheme followed the dwindling oil revenue and the Federal Government’s focus on a zero oil economy and fostering of the MSMEs as engines for economic growth.

The initiative involves getting the over 32 million MSMEs to embrace standardisation and certification through a nationwide sensitisation campaign.

According to a statement by SON, standards are technical documents that state the minimum or maximum product or services requirement for adjusting quality and ensuring the protection of human, animal and plant lives.

They are necessary instruments for facilitating fair trade across borders thereby enhancing competitiveness for sustainable economic development.

Standards also are the backbone for industrial and economic development of any country and create the unspeakable link between the consumer and products, according to the agency.

Similarly, product certification is the process of certifying that a product conforms to the requirements stipulated in the relevant specifications or standards.

SON, in the statement, listed some of the benefits of standardisation and certification as harmonising technical specifications of products and services to make industry more efficient and breaking down barriers to trade, and reassuring consumers that products are safe.

It added that Nigeria’s export capacities, market access and product acceptability could only be promoted through voluntary quest and compliance with standards, while SON plays the mandatory role of providing required standards and specifications.

In recognition of the MSMEs as the engine of growth, SON noted that it had put in place a policy that ensures that the MSMEs are involved in the standards development process through inclusion in technical committees for elaborating standards.

 

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