The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme

  • SON’s new quality certification for Dangote Cement

    Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has okayed Dangote Cement for its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP).

    SON’s Director-General Osita Anthony Aboloma, who broke the news, also said a new revised standard for cement production had been released.

    The SON chief, represented by the Director of Standard Development, Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, stated this during a facility tour of the Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, Kogi State by top officials of the organisation.

    He noted that the new certification was an attestation to Dangote Cement’s quality products and its capacity to conduct in-process and in-house tests on its raw materials and finished products in conformity with relevant national standards.

    He said: “Through our conformity assessments, we have always visited your plants on routine quarterly factory inspections to ensure compliance of your products to relevant national standards. The outcome of these activities is the certification of your products to the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme.”

    Aboloma further disclosed that the revised standard for cement NIS 444-1:2018 had been approved by the Standard Council of Nigeria and is ready for implementation.

    Aboloma commended Dangote Cement for its active participation, especially in standard development, saying the SON appreciated the company’s effort and that the SON would be ready to partner  with the company’s management.

    He promised that the SON would continue to collaborate and provide the required support with Dangote Cement, other private sector operators and stakeholders to ensure availability of the relevant standards for both raw materials and finished products.

    Dangote Cement Group Managing Director (DMD), Joseph Makoju said the company has never taken the issue standard with levity and that is why it does not limit itself to the set standards, but usually exceeds standard both in quality of its products and environmental friendliness of its plants operations.

    He stated that standard could not be compromised if products from Nigeria are to compete favourably with foreign ones, noting that it was for the reason of high standard that Dangote Cement has been a leader in the countries where it is sold.

    The Dangote Cement GMD explained that its partnership with the SON as the regulating agency was borne out of the quest of Dangote Cement to keep to standard and that the organisation has invested heavily in machinery that ensure that its products’standard is second to none.

    He explained that the decision of the company to lead in the backward integration policy of the Federal Government has paid off and that it was for the role played by Dangote Cement that Nigeria is  self-sufficient in cement production and consumption.

     

    Agency’s training centre gets global recognition

    THE Standards Organisation of Nigeria Training Services (STS) Centre has received certification by the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) and the International Register of Certified Auditors (IRCA) as an Approved Training Partner (ATP).

    The SON Training Centre thus becomes the first and only CQI and IRCA approved Training Centre in Nigeria and the West Africa Region to offer certified courses by the two international institutions.

    A statement by the Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma in Abuja said the certification was a precursor to the international accreditation of the STS courses and part of the repositioning of the agency’s services for global competitiveness.

    Aboloma stated further that the certification was to ensure that appropriate systems and processes were in place and continuously maintained to provide effective and efficient management, development and operational delivery of CQI and IRCA certified courses to industry, government and non-governmental organisations as well as private individuals in Nigeria.

    He explained that the recognition was attained following provision of huge resources at the SON Ogba training facility, concerted efforts of the staff of the STS as well as a rigorous assessment to establish that CQI and IRCA Certification criteria were met.

    CQI and IRCA certified courses offer some of the best trainings for quality, environment, services and auditing professionals in the world, given its global recognition and approval by employers and industry. They also provide a boost to practitioners’ employment prospects, he said.

    The courses to be offered according to the statement will be at three levels, namely Foundation, Internal Auditor and Transition as well as Lead Auditor and Conversion courses.

    It stated further that part of the criteria for the maintenance of the STC certification are CQI collection of direct delegate feedback; analysis of the pass rates; annual self-assessment; desktop documents review and on-site validation visits.

    The statement concluded that trainees will be provided with the skills and knowledge to support application for CQI membership or IRCA certification as the case may be and  serve as an invaluable way of gaining professional recognition for their expertise and commitment.

     

  • BUA Sugar Refinery gets MANCAP’s revalidation

    BUA Sugar Refinery, a subsidiary of BUA Group of Companies, on Tuesday received the revalidation of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) product quality certificate of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for its refined white sugar.

    At the presentation of the certificate to the company in Lagos, SON Director-General Mr. Osita Aboloma said the revalidation of BUA’s MANCAP Certificate was an attestation to its product and process conformity to production standard.

    Aboloma, who was represented by SON Lagos State Coordinator, Mr. Joseph Ugbaja, said MANCAP protected manufacturers against counterfeiting and unfair trade practices that instilled confidence in consumers that locally produced goods were fit and safe for intended use.

    “The certificate we are about to present today is a revalidation and reaffirmation of their product’s quality after our routine checks and test in the last three years. We want to equally remind you that the certificate can be withdrawn by SON at any time you deviate from the standards or your quality falls short of the minimum requirements,” he said.

    SON introduced MANCAP in January 2006 as part of measures by the Federal Government to entrench the culture of quality in the manufacturing sector.

    Aboloma advised BUA to ensure that its quality assurance department was empowered for the greater role of ensuring good quality products through provision of equipment and independence of their operations.

    BUA Sugar Refinery Managing Director Alhaji Ibrahim Yaro said the certification was a demonstration and recognition of the consistent quality maintained in the company’s sugar production.

    “BUA Sugar Refinery has gone through the vigorous process of routine inspection, tested and satisfied the SON’s stringent conditions for the award of the quality mark and is being awarded the SON prestigious quality of MANCAP.

    “BUA Sugar Refinery produces 2,000 metric tonnes of sugar per day and we use the best technology in our production line,” Yaro said.

    He said the company would continually ensure quality in all its production line towards building the nation’s economy and boosting the image of the manufacturing sector.

    He added that the company would continue in its drive to boost the nation’s self-sufficiency in sugar production through investment in backward integration.

  • Meter: Don’t blame manufacturers for shortage – Nwangwu

    Meter: Don’t blame manufacturers for shortage – Nwangwu

    The Managing Director of Sebrud Consortiums, Mr Chisom Nwangwu, an indigenous Meter Manufacturing Company, says the prepaid meter producers in Nigeria were not to be blamed for the shortage of the product for electricity consumers in Nigeria.

    Reports said that Nigerians have continued to decry the inability of Electricity Distribution Companies ( DISCOS ) to provide enough prepaid electricity meters for consumers.

    He said that the prepaid meter manufacturing firms had the capacity to meet the demands for the product.

    He also revealed that the Awka-based firm with its 400, 000 installed capacity was ready to work with the 11 electricity distribution companies in Nigeria to help to realise the Federal Government’s objective of having all customers metered.

    “Capacity is not the problem, we are producing and the products are there, we have the capacity to supply whatever is demanded by the distribution companies.

    “All that is needed is for them to contact us and place orders and they will get the meters, we are ready to work with the 11 electricity distribution companies,’’ he said.

    Nwangwu assured Nigerians that the products were of international standard having been approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ( NERC ) and certified by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria ( SON ).

    According to him, the meters are of high quality and they have passed the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme ( MANCAP ) test of SON.

    “They are 100 per cent quality assured with 10-year warranty period, our customer service department is effective,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • SON: blame product adulteration on poor monitoring

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has attributed faking and adulteration of products in the country to improper monitoring and communication gap.

    Director-General of the organisation, Osita Aboloma said this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the presentation of Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate to Polar Petrol Chemicals Limited.

    Dr Aboloma said, “I call on the management of the company to deliberately synergise with the distributors as experience has shown that adulteration, faking or any manner of tampering with the products is usually traced to improper monitoring and communication gap.”

    Represented by Group Head, Chemical Technologies of SON, Agboola Afolayan, Aboloma urged Nigerians to patronise made in Nigeria products “as they can compete with similar products manufactured elsewhere in the world.”

    He said, “When you patronise locally made products, it will grow the economy. You cannot grow the economy through importation. You grow economy when the money circulates. When you are patronsing, it means more sales for factories and creating employment for our children.

    There will be also sourcing of raw materials and you will pay them and they attend to their needs. That is the only thing that can make for circulation of money and that is the main focus of federal government of today.

    “The commitment of the management of Polar Petrochemicals Limited to live up to its obligation and secret mandate to meet the yearnings of its customers in the provision of quality lubricating oil is legendry and worth emulating by all manufacturers in the country.

    “By this certification, the company’s name and products are already in the SON website and can be accessed all over the world. The certification has also licensed the company to market its products beyond the shores of this country.”

    In his remark, Chairman of the company, Alhaji Tasiu Mustapha assured to ensure “that the standard with which this company started operation shall be sustained to all the stakeholders statisfaction.

    “The certification has resulted in our nomination by the World Health and Safety Organisation for the NAIJASAFE award 2017.”

    He said that apart from the systemic problem the industry is facing the challenge of adulteration of products.

    “Most of the factories you see are facing the problem of adulteration. DPR and SON have to come to our help. There are also the problems of electricity, funding and the recession that is about exiting.

    The major impact is adulteration. There should be stiffer penalty against manufacturers of fake products. It is worse than. Engine for your car is like the engine of your body. Just like you need water of food to lubricate your system, you need that engine to liberate your machines. When you feed your engine with fake oil, you are feeding the engine with poison and it will get knocked. It has a lot of effects on the economy,” he added.