The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has stated that through the instrumentality of its SON Act 2015, Nigeria can attain industrial development via standardisation, quality assurance and control in no distant time.
Indeed, the standards body added with a solid industrial base, Nigeria could become the next global economic powerhouse, noting that the agency is committed to achieving economic diversification from oil to non-oil economy with rapid industrial growth.
The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, at the Stakeholders’ Sensitisation Workshop on Son Act 2015 in Abuja recently, explained that the Act is set out to sanitise the nation’s industrial, commercial, business and market space of sub-standard products. Aboloma who was represented by the Regional Coordinator, North Central, SON, Charles Nwabara, said the Act is in tandem with the economic diversification, economic growth and recovery, industrial and agricultural revolution programme of the present federal government.
“The Act stresses the need for all stakeholders to be involved and carried along in its implementation (hence the need for sensitization workshops which we have embarked upon across the six geo-political zones in the country. Therefore it is a clear proof of our determination to engage in robust public-private partnership that works,” he said.
He said the theme of the workshop tagged: “Son Act 2015: Enhancing Quality, Harnessing Opportunities” is apt concerning the nation’s quest for economic growth.
He noted that issues of standards and quality are fundamental that they affect everybody directly or indirectly, pointing out that it was good for products and services to meet required standards especially in these days of global competitiveness, trade protectionism or technical barriers to trade.