The Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim, has said for Nigeria to curb the menace of substandard products, there must be deliberate efforts in policy formations that promote quality.
Salim who spoke yesterday during the 50th-anniversary celebration of SON in Abuja however identified the challenge of foreign trade policy of some governments that actively encourage the exportation of substandard products.
He said, “while acknowledging the modest achievements and strides of SON in the last 50 years, my vision for the organisation in the next 50 years is to be the foremost standardised body in Africa and among the top ranking globally.”
Salim said while this vision is achievable, the organisation will need to surmount several challenges such as changes in government policies like the often removal of the organisation at points of entry; huge population growth with limited resources giving rise to communal restiveness.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Maryam Katagum, said SON played a crucial role in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area by encouraging the patronage of Made in Nigeria products.
