There are huge potentials for stimulating multi-million dollar investments into liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder manufacturing in Nigeria, using the instruments of standardisation and quality assurance, according to Osita Aboloma, director-general, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
Aboloma, who made the disclosure in Lagos recently, says standardisation is one of the best ways to attract foreign direct investment and sustaining them by providing confidence and competitive edge to manufacturers’ products, quality assurances to consumers and meeting regulatory requirements seamlessly.
Aboloma notes that the pursuit of this objective informed his recent visits to some organisations to preach the gospel of standardisation and how it can help to improve their operations for greater competitiveness through strict adherence to standards requirements.
According to Aboloma, SON’s stringent procedure for the importation of LPG cylinders has encouraged increase in local production. The certification of the locally produced cylinders through the mandatory conformity assessment (MANCAP) scheme will provide the necessary assurances to consumers, thus encouraging greater patronage, he says.
“There is stiff monitoring and regulation of cylinders to ensure safety and that consumers have value for their money,” he states, saying the increased patronage will lead to improved capacity utilisation and create more jobs in line with the diversification agenda of the Federal Government.
“The LPG cylinder sector has huge potentials for job creation because of the production and ancillary chains. It will also create easy access to cylinders, which would add greater value to the economy and promote a cleaner environment,” he says.
SON is going to call a stakeholders’ meeting with existing manufacturers, importers and prospective ones soon to ensure that the structure and production processes are put on the path of continual improvement through the diligent application of standards, he discloses.
He reiterates the plans of SON to replicate the initiative in so many other sectors to encourage more foreign direct investment, as domestic production will help the current administration’s change mantra, especially in achieving economic diversification from oil into agriculture and manufacturing, thus adding greater value to the lives of Nigerians.
To him, the government is happy with companies having thousands of Nigerians under their employ, and will support such companies to do their legitimate businesses without stress.
He says further that part of his agenda is to ensure proper monitoring and mentoring of the various sectors through regular inspection visits and suggestion of more effective and efficient ways of contributing to the economic development of the country through proper application of standards.
He restates SON’s resolve to strengthen the operations of small and medium enterprises, noting with the application of the right standards, products of Nigerian SMEs will become more competitive locally and across borders.
He promises to expand the opportunity for testing of more agriculture and agro-allied products in SON’s accredited laboratories.
