SON warns manufacturers against compromising standard

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has warned organisations in the country, particularly those in the manufacturing sector, from compromising the standard of products being churned out to Nigerians for consumption.

The organisation said the warning was part of its bid to rid the country of substandard products across all the sectors, adding that it would ensure mandatory compliance for the purpose of safeguarding the lives, health of well-meaning Nigerians.

The head of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), Dr Ayuba Samuel, handed down this warning in Abuja at the weekend while presenting the MANCAP certificates to NASENI Solar Energy Limited and 30 other companies in the country.

Daily Trust reports that MANCAP is a regulation guided by Act No 14, 2015 of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria. The Act was established by then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2006 to safeguard the lives of Nigerians, give value to Nigerian products as well as protect the environment and property.

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Speaking before presenting the certificates, Samuel explained that only organisations that get MANCAP certification can use the logo of SON on their products which, he said, is one of the ways to boost the consumers’ confidence about a particular product.

He said, “Every country in the world has a standard body that regulates standards and ensures that products of that country are safeguarded, and so the same with the SON. Standards were made mandatory for the purpose of safeguarding lives and health.”

Earlier, the Director-General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, called on federal government agencies to also work with the organization to boost the confidence of Nigerians about its products.

Salim, who was represented by the Director, North Central Region, Sale Babaji, explained that SON has powers to prosecute anyone who uses its logo or mark without certification or its approval.