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Tag: SON

  • SON inaugurates surveillance unit

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has inaugurated a 16-man Surveillance, Investigation and Monitoring (SIM) unit targeted at strengthening its data gathering capacity and bridging information gaps in its operations.

    The team, with the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigerians Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies would work on intelligence gathering and sharing and will undertake quality assurance activities, enforcement and regulatory actions to curb unbridled influx of substandard products.

    SON Director-General, Mr. Osita Aboloma said the initiative was backed by the organisation’s 2015 Act, mandating it to interact with stakeholders in the aspects of standards enforcement, factory inspection, market surveillance, product registration, management systems, sensitisation among others.

    According to him, the SIM unit will be in Lagos under the leadership of the Deputy Director, Isa Suleiman who will coordinate operations and administration/logistics and give reports to the Director-General.

    The decision, which he said is in consonance with the anti-corruption drive of the current administration, was critical to its role of protecting the economy while maintaining the ease of doing business.

    He said: “The handling of these activities are critical to the overall reputation of SON, thus necessitating that the chief executive has all information at his fingertip to boost his capacity to respond adequately in the overall interest of the nation’s economy. This is also expected to promote effective delivery and a turnaround.”

  • SON shuts warehouses, shops in Lagos

    THE Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has shut several shops in the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) market on the Lagos/ Badagry expressway and arrested notorious counterfeiters and importers of fake and substandard goods.

    The market had come under SON’s hammer following several surveillance exercises undertaken as a result of constant complaints by the public, who have endured years of losing their funds to the merchants of fake auto parts, machineries, batteries among others.

    Its director–general, Mr. Osita Aboloma, said the agency was concerned about the alleged fraudulent cloning and faking of WSK Rotor Heads by Mr. Ikechukwu Egwuatu, the manager of Munduo Auto Limited, despite a seal order by a court of competent jurisdiction. He frowned at the practice of cloning successful brands by unscrupulous businessmen to make quick gains, depriving the trade mark owners of their benefit.

    He said SON Act 2015 empowers the agency to arrest and prosecute offenders, warning that the SON would make it impossible for fakers to thrive.

    He said: “This man has being importing substandard Rotor Heads with another person’s trade mark. He was arrested three years ago and rather than refraining from the illegal Act, he decided to go to court and predictably lost at the court. One would think that good reasoning would have made him to refrain and engage in a legal business besides working on getting his own trademark. But unfortunately, he has refused all entreaties and we were left with no other option but to bring to bear the full weight of the law on him to serve as deterrent”.

    The SON boss who was represented by the agency’s Director of Market Survey, Mr. Isa Suleiman, said SON is working on every sector to bring sanity and also raise the confidence of both manufacturers and consumers. He said standards are improved and reviewed regularly to meet up with current technology.

    On the arrest of several battery  and tyre importers and the sealing of their warehouses in the market, he explained that many of them have being found to be engaged in illegal relabelling of popular battery brands with low quality varieties. He added that they went to the extent of inputting wrong capacities to the batteries, thereby deceiving the public.

    He advised Nigerians to desist from buying used tyres, noting that it was a sure way to sudden death. He encouraged the people to buy new tyres and ensure that they check the day of manufacture, storage condition and packaging.

     

     

     

  • SON moves to boost agric export

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has restated its commitment to boost the export of agricultural produce.

    SON’s Director General, Mr. Osita Aboloma, spoke in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, at a sensitisation workshop on the improvement of agricultural export in the Southwest.

    Addressing stakeholders, Aboloma described the agric sector as an engine room contributing to the growth of the nation’s economy.

    The SON chief, who was represented by Mrs. Ngozi Ekwueme, regretted that the sector was still characterised by low yields.

    He hinged the low yields on low level of investment, poor storage conditions, inappropriate use of international standards, poor mechanisation and environmental disruptions.

    The workshop’s facilitator, Mr. Moshood Shittu, suggested the use of only registered pesticides and observation of pre-harvest interval for agricultural produce.

    Shittu also suggested effective use of agro-chemicals, good warehouse practice and compliance with relevant standards as measure for boosting production and export of cash crops.

    He added that adequate storage facilities and improved conditions would ensure quality produce, to boost exportation of commodities.

  • SON calls for local control of soft drinks content

    The Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr Osita Aboloma, has said that there  is a need for Nigeria to generate data on benzene level in soft drinks.

    Aboloma made the statement when he addressed the Technical Committee meeting on water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks held in Abuja, SON said in a statement on Sunday.

    Represented by the Technical Assistant, Dr. Barth Ugwu, Aboloma said Nigeria must meet the safe maximum level of benzoic acid or opt for alternative preservatives.

    He said that development of standards and reviews were targeted at ensuring the health and safety of consumers and to serve as guide to manufacturers, importers and promote fair trade practices.

    Alluding to the importance of the five draft standards to be considered by the committee, Aboloma said they involved products that were consumed widely and frequently by majority of people across all ages and economic strata.

    “The draft standards are standards for soft drinks, energy drinks, ginger drinks, sparkling fruit drinks, fruit squashes, concentrate and fruit cordial concentrate energy drinks,” he said.

    According to him, energy drink is one of the most highly consumed non-alcoholic drinks by between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of youths and adolescents.

    He said adverse health effects were attributed to the rate of consumption of the drinks due to the caffeine and sugar contents in them.

    “Caffeine is a Central Nervous System stimulant of the methyl xanthine class, it is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug.

    “Unlike many other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world,” Aboloma said.

    According to him, this underscores reasons for the elaboration of the standard for energy drinks in the country to prevent side effects when consumed in excess.

    Aboloma charged the technical committee members to exercise great diligence in carrying out their task towards achieving the objective.

    He stressed the need for setting standards that would prescribe good quality and food safety requirements in line with international best practices.

    “I implore you all to participate actively and freely express your concerns at every stage of the deliberations,” he said.

    The Chairman of the Technical Committee, Prof. Jide Alo, represented by Prof. Segun Ayejuyo, acknowledged the valuable contributions of the members to the assignment.

    He called for robust interactions that would  ensure consensus, while having the safety and health of consumers at heart.

    The  committee consists of representatives of Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control and  Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi.

    Others are Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers, Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology, , Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria and Consumer Protection Council. (NAN)

  • SON cautions on use of sub-standard products

    SON cautions on use of sub-standard products

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has cautioned Nigerians on the dangers of using fake products, warning that the risks associated with such unwise patronage far outweigh the benefits, if any.

    The organisation said it was carrying out sensitisation programmes across the country to educate stakeholders on the dangers inherent in the use of sub-standard products.

    SON Director-General Osita Aboloma stated these in Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State, during a general sensitisation workshop on substandard lubricants held in the city.

    Osita, represented by SON Regional Co-ordinator in the Southeast, Obi David, an engineer, said the regulatory body had before now carried out zero tolerance and total eradication sensitisation workshops for substandard products.

    He added that the agency has now decided to go for reduction in fake products all in a bid to achieve the same goal of reducing the circulation of fake goods in the country to the barest minimum.

    His words: “We’ve carried out zero tolerance for sub-standard goods; we’ve done total eradication and we are now speaking of reduction. There is no country in the world that can boost of total eradication of substandard products.

    “What we are saying now is that we want to reduce it to extreme minimum and if we can get that it will be a very big achievement. We want to start from somewhere; if we can achieve reduction, it will be as good as eradication.”

    Osita, who said SON’s sensitisation programmes were not limited to oil, but to other products, however, informed that the organisation limited the Aba programme to lubricants because of its effect on the economy and the people.

    “The use of lubricants touches on all vehicles, industrial machines of various types, hydraulic systems, electric transformers and other things. It is obvious that most of our daily activities depend directly or indirectly on use of lubricants and it is, therefore, necessary that every stakeholder be aware of good and substandard lubricant,” he said.

    Earlier in an interview, Obi said Abia was where SON was having much problem in the Southeast because manufacturers there were not organised as those in Anambra, Imo and Enugu states. He expressed hope that with such sensitisation programmes, they will overcome the challenges.

  • SON Act to revamp ailing industries, boost local production

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has stated that its reinvigorated SON Act 2015 is aimed at revamping the nation’s ailing industries while also creating an enabling environment to attract both local and foreign direct investments into the country.

    The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, explained that with the proper implementation of the SON Act 2015, the business community and industries would grow, bringing about massive job creation and employment, while also creating emerging market for certified Made-in Nigeria products globally.

    The SON boss stated that concerted efforts were being made to bring back the industries that hitherto dotted the landscape of Lagos, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin City, Kano, Kaduna and other cities in Nigeria, stressing that the standards body is currently deploying the use of standardisation and quality assurance to boost Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.

    Aboloma, who was represented by the Director, Inspectorate and Compliance, SON, Engr. Bede Obayi, at stakeholders’ sensitisation programme on SON Act 2015 in Lagos, said the essence of ease of doing business initiative by Federal Government is to drive business and industrial growth across the country, stating that creating an enabling environment would promote steady growth and development.

    “With standardisation, we want to ensure industrial growth, we need to make Nigeria emerge as an investment destination and hub in sub-Saharan Africa. With solid industrial base, Nigeria could become the next global economic powerhouse, following the footsteps of the Asian tigers. We want to attain economic diversification from oil to non-oil economy via rapid industrial growth.  We, at SON, want to empower and strengthen the growth of MSMEs. We have already started doing this, we are granting waivers to over one million SMEs on their products registration and certifications. We must endeavour to put in place structures and policies that would enable us to be exporting finished goods than raw materials,” he said.

  • Buhari’s wife thanks Nigerians as son returns from medical trip

    Buhari’s wife thanks Nigerians as son returns from medical trip

    THE President’s wife, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has expressed her profound appreciation to Nigerians for the successful return of her son, Yusuf Buhari, from medical treatment after sustaining injury from motor-bike accident in Abuja.

    Mrs. Buhari, who expressed her appreciation on her tweeter handle yesterday in Abuja, said the Buhari family remained grateful to all Nigerians for their constant prayers for Yusuf’s recovery.

    “We thank God for the return of our son Yusuf today after his medical trip. On behalf of the family, I wish to express our appreciation for the goodwill and prayers since the unfortunate accident. May God Almighty bless all and continue to guide us all aright,” she tweeted.

    Yusuf arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at the early hours of yesterday. He was accompanied by the personal physician of his mother (Aisha Buhari), his elder sister Halima Buhari and other family members.

    Yusuf was received at the Presidential villa by his parents, President Muhammadu Buhari  and his wife, Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Danbazau, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Minister of State for Health Dr. Osagie Ohineri and other closed associate of the family.

  • SON Act yielding product seizures, says DG

    SON Act yielding product seizures, says DG

    Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Director General Osita Aboloma has described the SON Act as “a revolutionary document”, which has assisted the organisation in delivering on its mandate of sanitising the country of unwholesome products.

    Aboloma stated this at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop on SON Act 2015 in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

    According to him, within the last few months, the standards body has confiscated fake and sub-standard products worth billions of naira across the country.

    He maintained that it had since embarked on arraignment and trial at the various courts of some of the suspects linked with the impounded goods.

    “We are not resting on our oars. We, therefore, appeal to all to be aware of the Act, comply with its provisions, particularly areas dealing with how operators should do the right thing for their businesses to grow,” he advised.

    He, however, stated that the work of standardisation was to grow Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), promote agro-allied sector, as well as ensure industrial and economic development.

    This, according to Aboloma, became imperative to engage stakeholders in different sectors of the economy.

    “We need to use the instrumentality of SON Act NO.14 2015 to attain economic development. We are spreading our tentacles to the states and geo-political zones. Product counterfeiters have no place to hibernate. With the re-invigorated monitoring and enforcement strategies we are putting in place, our dragnet will get economic saboteurs anywhere, anytime,” he said.

    He noted that the theme of the workshop: “SON Act 2015: Catalyst for economic development”, was germane and quite in tune with the current efforts by the Federal Government to turn around the nation’s economy.

    “We decided to conduct nationwide stakeholders’ sensitisation workshops on the Act not only in order to enlighten people on the provisions of the Act but equally to strengthen stakeholders’ engagement and collaborations. The positive outcomes and impact of the sensitization exercises in places where they have been conducted so far have been so encouraging. This forum would therefore not be different in eliciting attention and challenging participants on the issues to be raised by our competent facilitators and resources persons,” he stressed.

    A Principal Partner, Agbonhese, Agbonhese & Co, Dr. James Agbonhese, in his presentation tagged “SON ACT 2015: Vehicle For Quality and Standard Products” explained that the new Act was a remarkable improvement on the old Act ,which gave SON extremely limited powers to pursue its mandate.

  • SON tasks lubricant dealers on standards

    SON tasks lubricant dealers on standards

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has impressed on stakeholders in the lubricant industry the need to leverage on the opportunities the industry offers while also producing to international best practices.

    The Director General, SON, Osita Aboloma, who gave the charge at a meeting with Lubricant Producers Association of Nigeria (LUPAN) in Lagos, explained that this became necessary on the heels of the federal government’s quest to diversify the economy.

    “Lubricants and allied products are critical to boost Nigeria’s industrialisation drive,” the DG stressed.

    It may be recalled that the Nigerian government introduced the Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) in 2003 to revitalise the auto industry. Nigeria, having being identified as a future automotive hub for the sub region courtesy of its large economy, it is expected that resuscitating this sector would open fresh investment opportunities in the automobile value chain while also creating employment opportunities for the nation’s teeming unemployed youth.

    While assuring LUPAN of required support as much as possible, the DG also read riot acts to unscrupulous dealers who indulge in the act of faking and adulterating established and successful brands to cheat the Nigerian consumer, stressing that the new SON Act has given the agency prosecutorial powers.

    “SON will not sit back and watch some unscrupulous people threaten the lives of the industry. We will not sit down and watch these people pull down the investment of genuine manufacturers or importers. As long as you are law abiding, we will be there to protect you.”

    Also speaking at the event, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Ammasco International Limited, Alhaji Mustapha Ado, expressed the association’s commitment to work with SON to sanitise the industry.

    He said the industry is faced with some challenges ranging from adulteration and faking of established brands in the country, adding the stakeholders are ready to collaborate with SON to address the issues headlong.

    “We want you to come in to support us so that we can invest more and even attract foreign direct investment into the industry. We currently employ more than 2000 people in my company imagine if we can have 10 of such factories in the country, it would go a long way to reduce youth unemployment in the country.”