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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Monday appealed to local manufacturers to adhere to international standards while producing their products so that they could compete successfully at the global market.
The organisation’s Director-General, Osita Aboloma, said that in order to grow the country’s non-oil sector, manufacturers must ensure their products meet international specifications to compete globally.
He said, “Nigeria is at a critical stage where the government is seeking alternative means of earning foreign exchange.
“Our duty is to ensure that whatever you are producing conforms to specified standards which are not just for your safety, but for your turnover to increase.
“Also, this is for the products to be competitive at the global market.
“You should change your perception toward SON as anti-business rather; see and accept SON as the change agent for growth.
“We cannot prosper as a nation if the safety of Nigerians is not guaranteed. For us to get it right, we must first of all conform to global standards to be competitive, ‘’ Aboloma said in a statement.
According to him, the citizenry must be encouraged to consume Made-in-Nigeria products.
Aboloma urged manufacturers in Aba to be good ambassadors by aligning with the tireless efforts of the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for local production.
“We will be giving concessions to small scale industrialists because we want them to align with our mandate.
“We want to encourage small scale businesses to affiliate themselves with clusters such as the Aba Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA) and other trade groups, ‘’ he said.
ACCIMA President, Emmanuel Nwakpadolu, also appealed to Nigerians to patronise Made-in-Nigeria goods.
Nwakpadolu said that this was the only way to industrialise the country, create wealth and job opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youths. (NAN)
