The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has appointed four Firms for accreditation of imported goods in line with the global best practices. Dr Joseph Odumodu, the Director General of the organisation announced this during the signing of agreement between the SON and the firms in Lagos.
Odumodu said that SON appointed the new IAFs “to tackle the influx of substandard goods into the country.’’ He underscored the importance of the new appointment as it conformed to the SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP). He described SONCAP as a flagship programme of the organisation.
According to him, the SONCAP is in charge of regulatory activities of the organisation, critical to its campaign of zero tolerance on substandard products. “We have successfully created necessary background for the stoppage of substandard products in the country and expectations of Nigerians have been heightened. Nigerians are eager to see the adherence to the zero tolerance slogans against substandard products and we cannot afford to disappoint them. It is the same way that the expectation is high from the government to ensure that the country is rid of substandard products to ensure employment generation and wealth creation,’’ he said.
Odumodu urged the IAFs to strive toward desirable achievements of SONCAP by ensuring thorough inspection of imported goods. He said that SON would begin to issue the SONCAP certificate to goods coming into the country. The director general listed two of the accredited firms to include the Intertek International Ltd., and Cotecna Trade Services.
“They have the technical competence to deliver the best service to Nigerians,’’ Odumodu said. Mr Mattheiu Delorme, the Chief Operating Officer of the Cotecna Trade Services, assured Nigerians of excellent performance in monitoring imported goods. He said that in the old system, goods already checked were often substituted but that now such goods would be sealed and confined on arrival in Nigeria.
“It is a big challenge to us but we will work with SON to block all loopholes as soon as we discover them. We intend to protect Nigerians with our new ideas just like we have been protecting other countries,’’ Delorme said. In another interviews, the Managing Director of the Intertek International Ltd. Mr Victor Faleye assured of full testing of products imported to the country.
“We will be on our toes to make sure that the new prerequisites are strictly adhered to, to ensure success,’’ Faleye said. The scheme will enable the enable Nigerian products compete favourably in both domestic and international markets and help to boost industrialisation.
