NIGERIA – The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Governing Council has approved 168 new Standards for publication and dissemination to various sectors of the country’s economy seeking to support the Federal Government’s economic diversification policy.
The Council has also approved the first ever Nigerian National Standardisation Strategy (NNSS) 2020 – 2022, developed by SON to identify priority areas to focus on, based on national needs assessment.
During a recent virtual meeting convened Chaired from Abuja by the PS, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the PS highligted that the document is accompanied by a National Implementation Plan that gives orientation for national standardisation work within the three years duration.
Dr. Nasir explained that the NNSS has identified a total of 658 standardisation projects in key priority areas classified by economic sectors as highlighted in Federal Government’s Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and other related national strategic plans.
The SON Council Chairman described the establishment of the NNSS as an outstanding and epoch- making achievement of the Director General and his Management, for which the Council gave a unanimous commendation.
He also commended the SON Management for resolving all promotion arrears, conducting staff promotion exercises as at when due and the resolve to go ahead with the 2020 promotion exercise in spite of the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Council also approved the request for the conduct of the 2020 promotion exercise with innovative latitude to ensure compliance with the infection prevention and control measures put in place by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) not later than August 2020.
The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma also enumerated the organisation’s role and support in the FG’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic including leveraging on its international collaboration to make necessary and relevant international standards available to local manufacturers at no cost.
Aboloma said that the organisation also waived charges relating to importation of essential materials while also fast tracking the process, he said.
The approved 168 Nigerian Industrial Standards include 47 for Food and Agricultural products as well as 64 for Electrical/Electronic products; 53 for Chemical Technology; 3 for Civil/Building Technology products.
Aboloma highlighted the new standards provide a review of standards for fertilizers, review of existing and development of new standards for the tomato and cassava value chains as well as adoption of international standards on environmental testing.
The Director General assured that the approved standards would be published promptly while awareness programmes will be carried out with relevant sectoral stakeholders, to encourage voluntary uptake of the standards across industries.
Aboloma reiterated that the newly approved 168 Nigerian Industrial Standards cut across various products and services and are of great economic, regulatory and industrial importance for Nigeria.
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