Standards Organisation Of Nigeria Tasks Guinness To Ensure Consumers’ Value, Safety

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Osita Aboloma, has tasked the Management of Guinness Nigeria Plc to ensure that Nigerian Consumers get value for their money and safety at all times.

Aboloma, who led a team of SON officials to a facility tour of Guinness Breweries factory in Ogba, Lagos, gave the advice while speaking at the end of the tour.

He reminded the company of SON’s presence at all times to ensure diligent implementation and  enforcement of standards for the collective interest of Consumers, Manufacturers and the Nation’s economic development.

Aboloma acknowledged the company as one of the largest and renowned Standards bearers in  the manufacture of alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverage and spirits in the African continent.

According to him, the company’s adherence to good manufacturing practices was exemplified by the successful certification of 24 of its products to the SON Mandatory Conformity Assessment Scheme (MANCAP) to provide assurance to consumers and guarantee compliance with the relevant standards.

He commended the company’s
consistency in maintaining its certification to the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Standards (ISO 14001), describing it as a proud ambassador of products and systems quality.

The SON Director General  admonished Guiness Nigeria PLC Management not to relent in providing technical and institutional support for standards development and harmonization activities in Nigeria and across the African continent through active participation in working group and technical committee meetings.

Welcoming the SON team, Guiness Managing Director/Chief Executive, Baker Magunda, acknowledged the invaluable support and guidance of SON to the company over many decades, in ensuring the steady growth and expansion of its equity through diligent standards application and promotion of international best practices.

He reiterated the company’s commitment to continual improvement in its products and service offerings, stressing that Guiness Nigeria PLC cherishes it’s partnership with SON and other regulatory agencies.

Also addressing the SON delegation, Director, Corporate Relations, Mrs. Viola Graham-Douglas went down memory lane on the establishment of the first Guiness brewery in Nigeria, stating that Nigeria is the largest stout market in the world after Ireland.

She commended SON for its efforts in ensuring the ease doing business through the automation of its processes, especially relating to products and management systems certifications.

The SON team was conducted round the brewery facility by Messrs. Hanna Colman, Supply Chain Director; Kingsley Imade, Site Director; Ogba Brewery and Miss Mojisola Akpata, Head, Trade Regulatory and Government Affairs.

Others include Kingsley Onyeoziri, Head, Security and Brand Protection and Gbolahan Afolayan, Manager, Regulatory and Trade Affairs.

The DG, SON was accompanied by Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, Director, Standards Development; Mr. Kabir Y. Mohammed, Director, DG’s office; Mrs Mojisola Kehinde, Director, Laboratory Services and Mrs. Talatu Ethan, Deputy Director, Micronutrient Laboratory.

Others were Mrs. Yeside Akinlabi, Deputy Director, Food Chemistry Laboratory;  Engr. Fred Akingbesote, Deputy Director, MANCAP; Mrs. Oby Egbuciem, State Coordinator, Lagos 11; Bola Fashina, SA to DG/Head, Public Relations and Victor Amadi, Head, Protocol, DG’s office, Lagos amongst others.