Standard Organisation Of Nigeria: Achieving Competitiveness Through Products Certification (PART THREE)

The products certification role being executed as one of its mandates by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) serves as stimulant and moral booster to most manufacturers and producers of goods and services to ensure that they engage in production of goods that withstands test of time and remain competitive both at home and in global arena.

In fact, it is responsible for ensuring that locally manufactured products in Nigeria give the required degree of satisfaction to consumers through compliance with Government policies on standardization and conformity assessment. This is in addition to the purpose of promoting global competitiveness among domestic manufacturers and encouraging continual improvement on the quality of products in line with approved standards

This role aligns with products testing function of SON both of which aims at promoting industrial/economic development by ensuring that Made-in-Nigeria products meet the requirements of the relevant Nigeria Industrial Standards with continual improvement on the quality of the products while collaborating effectively with all relevant stakeholders to build strong relationship for mutual benefits.

The SON Director General, Osita Aboloma, represented by Engr. Olalekan Omoniyi (Left) presenting the MANCAP Award Certificate to Jezco Oil Nigeria Limited, one of the recipients of the certification.

Other objectives include: To encourage production of excellent quality products and healthy competition through consistent compliance to relevant standards; To encourage continual improvement on quality of products and production processes by manufacturing industries in the country; To provide confidence to consumers that products purchased will not only meet intended use but will offer value for money.g

Currently, the Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma is presently implementing four major products certification schemes as integral part of the organisation’s regulatory and enforcement functions. This is manifest in the implementation of the mandatory Offshore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) for imported goods; the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for locally manufactured products, endorsement of quality mark (NIS) on products and conferring of Nigerian Quality Award (NQA) on companies and manufacturers.

In the case of raising products standards and competitiveness through MANCAP, it is a mandatory product certification scheme being executed by SON to ensure that all locally manufactured products in the country conform to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) before such products are presented for sale in the market or exported.

The programme started in 2006 and ensures compliance of Made-in-Nigeria products to the minimum requirements of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) or Code of practice thereby promoting fair competition at both domestic and international markets, as well as safeguarding the safety and health of consumers in the overall interest of promoting economic and industrial development of Nigeria.

The procedures for MANCAP certification involves the Inspection of the production processes; Sampling and testing of the products against the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) to confirm compliance through conformity assessment processes. Assuming the product meets the requirement of the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standard, MANCAP certificate and MANCAP logo which bears a unique number for that product is issued for the product upon payment of applicable administrative charges. Of important is the fact that a MANCAP certificate is valid for three years after which the product must undergo recertification.

Before certification of products, SON undertakes inspection, verification of the production processes and testing of the product quality. Even after such product and manufacturing company had been certified, SON embarks on intense monitoring to ensure that the standard and quality of the products and the manufacturing processes does not fall below acceptable international standard to sustain competitiveness.

Of recent, SON awarded its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certification to eleven deserving manufacturing companies in Awka, the Anambra State Capital. The Director General and Chief Executive of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, noted that though Covid -19 pandemic represents an unprecedented disruption to the global economy and world trade, as production and consumption were scaled back across the globe, but in order to prevent the stoppage of production of goods and supply of essential supplies which are crucial for the safety of Nigerian lives, the Federal Government directed that factories remained open and regulatory Agencies such as SON, be fully deployed to ensure that regulatory framework and practices that are needed to support and enhance the quality, safety and compliance of goods, services and processes are operating during this period.

Aboloma , represented by the SON Anambra State Coordinator, Engr. Olalekan Omoniyi, stressed that standards are useful in mitigating the negative effects of the Covid- 19 global pandemic in multiple of ways and that in the light of this, SON being one of the essential services providers, has been going around to monitor the activities of production outfits. While commending the recipients for going through the quality certification journey, described them as Quality Ambassadors whose products have earned the MANCAP certification of conformity through hard work and consistency of production to defined requirements.

To underscore the importance of MANCAP certification, he urged all manufacturers to get the MANCAP certification, which guarantees a boost in global markets access, consumer confidence, employment generation, wealth creation and quality production, amongst other benefits. Just as he advised them to conspicuously display the MANCAP certification mark on the products as evidence that their products had been certified as fit for purpose, Aboloma cautioned the awardees, that SON would not hesitate to recall the certificates, with an attendant penalty, if any of the conditions attached to the certification is violated.

The recipients who were from different sectors including manufacturers of Mattresses, Soap, Table Water and Aluminum Corrugated Roofing Sheets amongst other consumables, are Crescent Group of Companies Ltd; SNF Foods; Ashango C. Okoro and Company Nig. Ltd; Suness Craft Ventures Nig. Ltd; Eetank Resources Ltd; Chumpee Global Resources; Capitol Super Aluminium Products Ltd; Comag Industries Ltd; Obinco E. I. Aluminium Products Nig. Ltd; EMIC Foam and Allied Industries and Beta Cosmetics Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

In course of enforcing standards, an Osogbo Magistrate Court on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, convicted one Mr. Shodipo Olujimi and Gold Channel International to six months imprisonment without an option of fine for presenting forged laboratory test results and a forged bank teller for the certification of table water product in Osogbo. Delivering judgement in the case filed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) against the 1st and 2nd defendants, Chief Magistrate M.A. Awodele stated that the 1st defendant was convicted to six months imprisonment without option of fine while the 2nd defendant, Gold Channels International (aka Genesis Pure Water) was banned from producing for the period of six months.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that SON’s certification entails enforcement and prosecution of defaulters so as to achieve sanity in production processes and bequeath consumers wholesome and competitive products.

***To be continued next week on another aspects of SON’s achievements