The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has awarded the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme certificate to about 12 companies that have maintained the prestigious awards of quality.
The awards presentation ceremony took place at the SON office, in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Thursday.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, noted that the awards did not come easy as it was painstaking and involved the dedication and commitment by a thorough examination of the manufacturers.
Salim, who was represented by the Regional Director of the organisation, Mathias Bessy, urged the manufacturers not to relent in ensuring that quality is maintained at all times because it is not cheap.
He said, “Quality is a benchmark and SON as Nigeria’s apex bureau of standards cannot compromise in its mandate. Hence, it is consistently awarding deserving companies that have met with the prescribed requirements for the award of MANCAP Certificate.
“With the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, Nigeria cannot afford to be in the background. So, manufacturers and other service providers in the country must adhere strictly to the requirements of standards and standardisation activities as enunciated by SON in order to facilitate trade between her and other countries.”
According to Salim, standardisation is the key to every sector of the country’s economy.
He noted that the standardisation of SMEs, which account for about 39.65 per cent of business in Nigeria and employ more than 87.9 per cent of the nation’s workforce, was of greater interest to the SON.
He urged manufacturers to ensure that they imbibe the culture of standards and quality so that Nigeria, as the largest economy in Africa, can occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, the representative of Tummy-Tummy Foods Nigeria Limited, Mr Chimezie Emenike, lauded SON for awarding those certificates, assuring that the certificates would spur them to maintain the standards of their products.
Also, the Anambra State Coordinator for SON, Chief Chukwudi Ogbuji, advised manufacturers to strictly adhere to the standards, which they were awarded certificates for.
