NIGERIA – With proper implementation, Nigeria will by the instrumentality of the National Quality Policy attain the goal of raising inter-African trade in non-oil from the current five per cent to 20 per cent by 2020.

Indeed, to facilitate the implementation of the Nigerian National Quality Policy (NNQP), the Federal Government has mulled plans to set-up a National Quality Council to such end.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the draft policy from the Secretary of the National Steering Committee (NSC), Dr. Joseph Odumodu which team midwifed the policy.

In a statement made available to The Guardian, Aganga stressed the importance of the NQP which he said complements President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda of Nigeria’s rapid industrialisation under the National Industrial Revolution master plan.

“The presentation of this document today is proof that the NIRP and the NEDEP projects are working. Nigeria is on the path to greatness as a formidable tool has been set in motion through this document,” the minister said.

Describing the NQP as a “foundation for self-regulatory framework that will help Nigeria achieve greater things, ranging from innovations, technology, industrialisation, quality services, quality lifestyles and orderliness in our way of life,” Aganga said Nigeria will by the instrumentality of the policy attain the goal of raising inter-African trade in non-oil from the current five per cent to 20 per cent by 2020.

The Director General of the Standards Organization of Nigeria, Dr. Odumodu who served as Secretary of the National Steering Committee (NSC) for the drafting of NQP, said the council would take care of areas like the National Quality Infrastructure, Standardization, Metrology, Accreditation service, Calibration and testing laboratories, Conformity Assessment as well as Certification.

The NNQP report is expected to go to the Federal Executive Council for approval and subsequent legislation to facilitate its implementation.

Nigeria reportedly recorded a feat by the timely and record-time preparation of the draft within one year and four months that the steering committee worked.

April 6, 2015; http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/04/quality-policy-to-drive-inter-african-trade-by-20-per-cent/