Nigeria’s international profile got another lift over the weekend, following her emergence as the next president of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) in an election conducted in Cameroun.
At a keenly contested election held in Younde, the Cameroonian capital, Nigeria became the only candidate standing following the tactical withdrawal of the other contenders one after another, Malawi being the last to withdraw.
By this result, Nigeria represented at the ARSO by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) would steer the continent’s umbrella body in charge of standardisation and quality assurance for the next two years.
The build-up for the election was interesting due to the strategic importance of the position, against the rising profile of the continental body, but Dr Joseph Odumodu, the Director-General of the Standards ORganisation of Nigeria (SON), who contested for Nigeria, appeared much favoured.
Odumodu, in his capacity as Vice President had left impressive credentials in ARSO and most delegates preferred his emergence, but this did not stop the horse-trading which started right from the kick off of the ARSO’s standardisation week, of which the election is a major highlight.
Odumodu’s strongest contender in the election proper was the Director-General of Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), Mr. Davlin Chokazinga, following the withdrawal from the race of their counterpart from Sudan.
ARSO has 34 member countries, entitled to one vote each but only the nineteen nations present for the weeklong event and the organisation’s General Assembly, were eligible to elect the new leader.
Confident of their chances to clinch victory, the Nigeirian and Malawaian representatives canvassed the seventeen other countries until a few minutes before the ARSO Assembly took place yesterday.
Just before the meeting was called to order, Malawi conceded to Nigeria, declaring that it had become clear that the southern African nation did not stand a chance against the towering clout of the West African country.
In his post-election speech, Odumodu noted that he intended to work with all the member nations of the organisation to tackle the problem of low industrial capacity for diversified manufactured goods.
Other issues that would occupy his attention he said, are the lack of qualified standardisation personnel, dearth of effective standardisation and conformity assessment infrastructure, over dependence on imports from outside the continent for more than 90 percent of its goods; SMEs’ lack of capacity to take advantage of globalisation among several other objectives.
Sharing his vision to stir the continent towards and efficiently managed standardisation and quality regime to boost Africa’s global trade, Odumodu expressed satisfaction that 36 years on, the region was still forging ahead in the same pan-African spirit, which brings about togetherness and the belief that its constituents share a common destiny.
“it is said that ‘When the music changes, so does the dance. I am glad to note that many hanges are taking place in Africa. Multinational companies that want to expand their businesses are turning towards pre-growth emerging African Economies, now branded as the final investment frontier. This is influenced by the fact that Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, has been among the fastest growing regions in the world, with an average gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate exceeding five per cent.
Odumodu noted that Africa needed to change its fortunes and go beyond the current 3 per cent of its contributions in the World trade and 10 per cent of its intra-African trade.
“There is great need for turning the tables on import-based approach to industrialisation. More so there is great need to change from exporting primary goods in its trade arrangements and focus on the value addition of its products from vast natural resources (agricultural, forestry, fisheries, Energy, Minerals) and also harness its tourism potential”
Odumodu has been dogged in the fight against substandard products in the country, a crusade which theme and spirit reverbrates in other parts of the globe, Africa in particular.
This influenced his emergence as the Vice-President of the ARSO, a position he held till the most current election.
Earlier in an address he presented at the Africa Standardisation Day, an aspect of the ARSO congress, Odumodu called on other African countries to join hands with Nigeria in the battle against dumping which he said was afflicting the economies in the region.
