sonSON expresses determination to rid Nigeria of substandard products

 

In order to put a permanent solution to the negative and adverse impact that influx of substandard products has inflicted on our economy and thus act as catalysts for downward and dwindling trend for the rise, growth and stability of local industries to in the country, the Acting Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Barrister Paul Anya, has expressed readiness of his agency to put a permanent solution to the influx of substandard products into the country, just as he reiterates his determination to close all illegal boarders and unapproved entry points throughout the country.

The Director General gave the assurance at the end of a three-day capacity building organised for the Commerce and Industry Correspondents and media executives and Business Editors of various media organisations in Lagos recently.

He recalled that the supreme challenge that has posed serious concern for the agency is the downturn of the economy, which without calling a spade another name was caused by inability of the local industries to thrive with the uncontrolled circulation of substandard products in the country.

“Without much ado, influx of substandard products has impacted negatively on the economy of this country and thus prevented local industries to thrive. This had also led to the closure of major industries in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Ibadan, Kaduna, Abuja etc, and thus led to Mass unemployment “.

He maintained that together with his team have had sleepless nights on how to complement President Muhammed Buhari’s effort at reviving the economy by way of finding lasting solution to the conspiracy of a segment in the society, who sees nothing good in reviving our ailing economy, who according to him were less than 100,000 heads out of the over 177 millions population of the entire people in the country.

“Let me tell you categorically today that I and my team are working frantically 24/7 to complement President Buhari’s efforts at repositioning the country’s ailing economy and shame the conspiracy of a segment of the society, whose vision is to dust the country more in the muddy waters. I can tell you that less than 100,000 heads are involved in this unwholesome acts and God willing, this is a war that would be won”.

He also hinted that other strategy being focused to bail out the country from the economic mess is to diversify to agricultural products like soyabeans, local rice, cashew, melon and others, adding that efforts are at advanced stage to identify 15 priority products seed selection, harvest, process, packaging, labelling, storage and fumigating of the products because according to him “all what average European markets want to know is how the products that come to them is processed, hence the urgent refocusing by SON, to ensure products that comes out of the shores of the country are properly processed”.

The SON boss also mentioned that other areas its being contemplated is the review of some existing standards, just he explained that some existing standards are due for review so as to accommodate some new laws that was not accommodated earlier and give legal backing to those acts like the National

Quality Policy, which when passed into law after scaling through the National Assembly, would give legal framework for SON laboratories to work in the country.