Health
MALAM Farouk Salim, the Director General and Chief Executive of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria SON) , said the rising level of casualties from substandard products nationwide was unacceptable.
Salim said this at a stakeholders’ sensitisation forum on Thursday, with the theme: Standardisation: Catalyst for industrial growth, in Benin.
Represented by the Director, South South Region, Mr Samuel Ayuba, the DG underdcored the need for industry players to strictly adhere to standardisation to grow their businesses and the sector.
According to Salim, players must standardise their products by ensuring that they meet quality assurance laid down rules.
He explained that standardisation would promote Nigerian products at the international markets.
“With the recent push by World Trade Organisation for removal of trade barriers, the implication is that standardised products can find market anywhere within these nations, while non standardised products will not be allowed anywhere close to those nations.
“We, therefore, as a matter or urgency, must standardise as the case may be, to be able to access more markets, thereby growing our industries,”he said.
He urged participants to avail themselves of the forum, to use the knowledge gained to grow and sustain their businesses.
Salim noted that adherence to standard improves the level of uniformity and consistency of some practices within the same environment.
“It brings about innovation and knowledge among stakeholders and eliminates inefficiency but provides confidence among consumers,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state Cordinator of SON, Mrs. Helen Dapo-Onafuye, said the place of standardisation in the industry could not be over emphasised.
She said, “standard plays the role of unifying factor which directs in how serious products within the industries are arrived at.
“This ensures consistency in such industries so that you can buy machine from one part of the country and have it installed in any part by a technician without any trouble.”
In her presentation, the Director, Lagos Region, Mrs Talatu Ethan, said standardisation was necessary to grow and sustain the Nigerian industrial sector.
She listed some of the benefits stakeholders were likely to gain from adherence to standardisation to include access to new markets, prevention of trade barriers, opening up of global market.
Other benefits, according to her, include increase of market shares, increase in productivity, reduction in cost of production and minimisation of errors.
Some of the participants who spoke to NAN commended SON management for the forum, saying it afforded them the opportunity to get some of their doubts and misconceptions cleared, especially on the modus operandi of its operations.(NAN)
A.I
Tags: Malam Farouk Salim
