The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has continued to confront merchants of death and others who thrive in counterfeit and substandard products. CHIZOBA OGBECHE x-rays the activities of the organisation.
The recent election of Nigeria into the Standards Management Committee (SMC) of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) no doubt is a testament that the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is making progress in its efforts towards maintaining right standards for goods and services in the country.
Nigeria won the position in a keenly-contested election involving 13-member states to become first with 27 votes.
Member countries, including Kenya with 19 votes, Burkina-Faso, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, were also elected into the SMC.
The SMC
The committee was approved as a component of the revised procedures for harmonisation of African standards by the 61st council meeting of ARSO held in November 2019 in Lusaka, Zambia.
It is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the management and timely execution of the procedures, due process and harmonisation programmes of ARSO.
The committee, among other things, is to be responsible for the establishment and dissolution of technical committees (TCs), appointment of chairpersons of TCs, allocation or re-allocation of secretariats of TCs and in some cases sub committees (SCs).
It also approves titles, scopes, programmes of work of TCs approval of the establishment and dissolution of SCs by TCs, recommending Final Draft African Standards (FDARS) proposed by TCs for approval by council and coordination of the technical work, including assignment of responsibility for the development of standards regarding subjects of interest to several TCs.
Benefit of membership
That means Nigeria would be at the decision-making table where all decisions concerning standards of products and services and related processes or production methods in Africa are taken.
This is no mean achievement because the implication is that no decision on any product and services would be taken without Nigeria making its input or supervising the process.
On the other hand, this also means that the steps taken by SON director general, Malam Farouk Salim, to reform the organisation and ensure it delivers on its mandate are making the needed impact.
Since he assumed office in late September 2020, Malam Salim has initiated some stringent policies and programmes aimed at ensuring that Nigeria gets it right in terms of standardisation of products and services, halt the influx and circulation of substandard and life-endangering products into the country.
Prior to his appointment, there was apprehension among many Nigerians because of the rumours that majority of the products circulating and services rendered in the country were far below standard compared with international standard even within African.
The reforms
A month into his tenure, Salim immediately set up an independent five-man committee to review and strengthen management practices and operations in SON with a view to ensuring that all teething challenges hindering the organisation are identified and strategies put in place to tackle them.
The team had engagement with the staff across the country after which they made recommendations to the management.
The independent team put in its best because members interacted and made findings from Nigerians across all sectors.
This exercise, according to many, added value to the organisation because many recommendations were made. Some of the recommendations proffered are currently being implemented by the management.
Another strategy put in place by the Salim-led management team was the convening of strategic leadership/management retreat with staff of the organisation.
At the retreat, participants were given the opportunity to make inputs and suggestions on what they believe would take SON to the next level.
It was at this point that members of staff collectively resolved to make SON a high-performing organisation capable of delivering high quality services to clients through renewed commitment and automation.
Spokesman of SON, Bolaji Fashino, said the retreat was an opportunity for the DG to share his vision of what he wants to achieve, where he wants to take the organisation to, how they perceive SON, the challenges and suggestions on the direction the organisation should go.
Another ingenious step taken was the motivation and giving staff due recognition.
It is worth noting that since he came on board, the DG had encouraged the staff and also proved beyond doubts that he cares about their welfare.
Findings show that the DG has taken it upon himself to personally write letters to staff at the beginning of every month, detailing his activities the previous month.
The letter, one of the staff of the organisation revealed, gives an idea of how the DG wantswants things done, especially how certain things were done and how he wants them to be.
Landmark achievements
In collaboration with state governments, SON has also recorded some landmark achievements in recent months like opening offices in selected states across the different geo-political zones of the country.
What this means is that there would be an influx of staff of the organisation in all the states thereby ensuring that there are no life-endangering products and services in the nooks and crannies of states.
The speed at which state governments were willing to work with SON by providing it with land for permanent structures has been remarkable.
Some states are also considering signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of Medium, Micro and Small Enterprise (MMSEs) in their states. So far, close to 15 state governments were already in the process of signing the MoU for the development of MMSEs in their respective states.
In the past few months, SON has got land in states like Katsina, Jagawa, Benue and has started building in Sokoto.
Recently, the Cross-River state government allocated land to SON qhere it is preparing to build permanent structures on the land including laboratories.
Some of the achievements in the past few months include re-equipping the National Metrology Institute Enugu to protect Nigerian roads, promote fair trade and calibration of weight bridges nationwide on federal government directive and occupation of new corporate headquarters building Abuja.
Others include the relocation of SON states offices to more conducive and befitting accommodation in Jigawa, Kano, Sagamu and relocation of state offices to permanent office or laboratory, complex in FCT, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and Ekiti states.
Consumers hail SON
Speaking the chief executive officer of Jeero Bakery & Confectionery Limited, Abuja, Dr Regina Omo-Agege, applauded the agency for the recent policies it initiated to ensure that only goods of high quality are sold in the markets.
While stating that the DG has so far done well by initiating good policies Omo-Agege, however, said that there is room for improvement while calling on the organisation to improve in the area research.
“I know SON has good number of researchers; my only advice is that the research team should be dedicated and work well so that they can always get the best output.
“If the DG wants to leave his name in gold, then the importance of the having the best research team and needed equipment cannot be overemphasized. We need good researchers so that every product can be tested to ascertain its quality,” she said.
