The Nation Newspaper

Tag: standardisation

  • ‘Standardisation solution to building failure’

    ‘Standardisation solution to building failure’

    Non-adherence to standards and codes of practice in the construction process have resulted in building collapses, endangering lives, loss of property and damaging public trust.

    This was the conclusion of  stakeholders in a conference organised by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria ( SON) in conjunction  with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment  themed: “Adherence to Standard Practices: Bedrock of Sustainable Development in the Building/Construction Sector”.

    In a communique at the end of the conference,  signed by SON Director General, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke,   the Built- Environment Professionals which includes  Engineers, Architects, Builders, Town Planners,  Surveyors, Quantity Surveyors, Estate Surveyors &  Valuers etc noted that while there was nothing wrong with the adaptation of foreign codes and standards, such adaptation needed to address local conditions and peculiarities.

    They also noted that current economic hardships and hyper-inflation had affected the prices of construction materials in an upward trend and adherence to standards had become a challenge.

    Read Also: SON raises awareness on standardisation

    The conference declared that to arrest the spate of building collapses, design of structures must be done solely by qualified professionals.

    They urged SON to ensure adherence to certification in construction materials to be used, adding that the law on the use of professionals at all stages of building construction should be enforced.

    They said: “There must be a law to punish defaulting professionals, professional bodies, quacks, clients and investors.

    Regular integrity tests must be conducted on buildings, particularly when their intended purposes have been altered”.

    The communique called on the National Assembly to pass the National Building Code, which had been on the shelves for years, into law as part of efforts to stem building collapses.

    It also declared that the directive issued 13 years ago to evict SON from the ports in an attempt to enhance ease of doing business should be reversed as it was done in bad taste.

    It said it has become necessary because SON cannot be issuing the Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) certificates without being at the ports to inspect and test materials imported for the construction and other sectors.

    It observed that rapid urbanisation and rising population had placed immense demands on every infrastructure, making the building construction industry both an opportunity and a challenge.

    It observed that Nigeria’s growing population required rapid increase in affordable housing, which brings with it the challenge of meeting demand without compromising on quality.

    It observed that in spite of many sensitization and awareness campaigns carried out by SON, many industry stakeholders and practitioners still lacked awareness of the standards required for safe, durable and sustainable buildings.

    The communique also recommended that professionals in the building sector should stay strictly within their areas of competence.

    It said:  “Every stakeholder, from contractors to suppliers, and artisans must be committed to using approved materials and adhering strictly to standards. There should therefore be a collective efforts to bridge knowledge gaps, particularly from the tertiary institutions level”.

    It recommended that SON must continue to maintain membership of the African Organisation for Standardisation and other international standardisation bodies.

    The conference brought together industry experts, government representatives and private sector stakeholders, having observed that adherence to standard practices is at the bedrock of sustainability in the building and construction sector.

  • SON sensitises public on standardisation

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is holding market surveillance on product standardisation, quality assurance, and metrology in different parts of the country.

    The Director-General, Osita Aboloma, who was represented by the Regional Coordinator for North Central, Charles Nwagbara at the seminar in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the seminar is expected to teach participants a strategic, preventive and intelligent investigation to identify and deal with fake, adulterated and substandard products, and allow the genuine MANCAP/SONCAP certified products to compete in the market.

    Read also: Man remanded in prison for alleged fraud

    He said: “It is my expectation that this seminar will expose the participants to a more effective and efficient knowledge and skills that impact our market surveillance activity products compliance to standard quality and regulatory requirements.

    “Your commitment, competence and team work are paramount to effectively and efficiently achieve the market surveillance targets/ milestones. You are expected to actively communicate and offer technical support and training to other workers who could not join this seminar on your return to your respective state offices,”

    He urged the public to purchase standard and certified products.

  • Stakeholders canvass standardisation of real estate agency practice

    Stakeholders canvass standardisation of real estate agency practice

    Except there is a reversal in estate agency practice, its practitioners will continue to feed on crumbs. This is because of the lack of standard in estate agency as being practised in the country. The lack of standardised practice, it is believed, explains why Nigerian estate agents are not getting juicy deals, especially from multinationals.

    “Can any of you here claim he is managing any outlet in Shoprite, or in any other multinational facility? Except you improve and up your standard, you will never play in the big league of estate agency. The best of transactions now are going to multinationals,” said Tope Ojo, guest lecturer at the Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department (LASRETRAD) stakeholders’ conference, held  in Alausa, Ikeja, last week.

    The theme of the conference was “Standardising Real Estate Agency Practice in Lagos State.”

    According to Ojo, there is an urgent need for the review of certain provisions of the law governing estate agency in the state and country. For instance, he explained that under the Lagos State Estate Agency Regulatory Authority Law 2007, the practice is open to anybody from the age of 18 years, including having a minimum of educational qualification of secondary school leaving certificate or a proof of sufficient experience in estate agency practice.

    Other requirements under this law include evidence of registration of estate agency business under Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), including but not mandatorily being a member of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) or any other professionally recognised body or any registered association of Estate/rent/commission agent.

    However, the guest lecturer riticised the 18-year-old clause, arguing that it is very unlikely that any investor will be willing to hand over a N50 million asset to an estate agent of that age to manage on his behalf.

    Ojo regretted that the features of estate agency practice in the country are characterised by lack of adequate regulatory framework; free entry/ free exist, which requires no training nor certification; and are laden with high market risk. Others, he said, include small size of offices; lack of information on transaction; poor public perception; large presence of non-professionals; unorganised market; multiplicity of local agents association; fraudulent transaction; lack of standardisation; and largely unregulated. These features, makes the profession have perception issues among the public.

    Proffering solution, Ojo, therefore, called for a national/state body; effective regulatory framework; establishment of a licensing authority that will register all certified estate agents; professional indemnity by way of insurance of estate agents.

    There should also be categorisation of licenced estate agents into principals and ordinary agents, including creation of a state estate agency board in conjunction with NIESV.

    “This will give confidence to the profession. If a client knows an agent has insurance for professional indemnity, then he can be rest assured that if anything happens to his money the insurance will pay him back. For now, estate agents are traders and not professionals,” he explained.

    Explaining how the practice works in other climes such as South Africa, Ojo said an aspiring practitioner will first complete further education and training certificate in Real estate; undergo a 12-month internship mentored by a professional; write and pass Professional Designate Examinations (PDE); and register with the country’s Estate Agency Affairs Board. To be a principal of a firm, such person will also have to write and pass another examination. Over  40,000 Estate Agents are registered with the board.

    Earlier in his keynote address to the gathering, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Housing , Mrs. Aramide Giwanson, observed that over the years, the activities of estate agents have been a source of concern to government because of the several unsavoury tales people have had to tell about the sharp practices of the practitioners, which usually leads to people being defrauded.

    Ambode agreed that unethical practices has thrived in the profession because it is largely unorganised, unregulated and unprofessional. This has been further buoyed by the by the lack of a central professional / regulatory body that will set minimum standard and code of ethics for practitioners, leaving the door open to all comers including those who do not have the basic training and qualification.

    He explained that with the establishment of LASRETRAD, government hopes to redress the situation, by not only guiding the real estate agency through rules and regulations, but by also ensuring that violators of these rules are made to account for their actions.

    “We believe that this will ensure protection for citizens and reduce the tendency for fraudulent practices. In addition, it will also enable government to adequately capture data on property transactions on a regular basis as it is being done in most developed parts of the world,” Ambode said.

  • SON promises standardisation, quality services

    SON promises standardisation, quality services

    The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Osita Aboloma said standardisation and quality assurance were vital to the nation’s survival in view of the current economic situation.
    The Director GGeneral spoke during a familiarisation tour to the organisation’s offices in Kaduna and Kano states.
    He urged the staff to look at the present economic situation as motivation to boost the growth of industrialisation in the country in line with the Federal Government’s policy of diversification.
    Aboloma urged the staff to be good ambassadors, to change the perceptions of some Nigerians about the organisation.
    He advised that the organization should not be viewed as an oppressor but as “vanguards of quality and facilitators of businesses”.
    Aboloma commended the staff for their hard work and dedication to duties, and lauded the good work of the regional office at coordinating the activities of the organisation within the region.
    He promised to provide adequate funding for the states offices, improve on the provision of equipment and materials needed to aid staff to achieve the organisation’s mandate.
    According to him, the staff welfare will receive adequate attention at all times.
    Aboloma advised the staff to acquaint themselves with happenings in the organisation through the different social media.
    He added that such would provide them the opportunity to know the direction of the government and management decisions on issues.
    “I promise that under my leadership, the organisation will operate a reward system where staff will be rewarded for hard work and ingenuity,’’ Aboloma said.
    He appealed to the staff to encourage the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME’s) to avail themselves of the services provided by the organisation’s textile and leather laboratory.
    Aboloma said charges had significantly been reduced to aid SME’s growth in terms of quality and standards.

  • SON educates youths on standardisation, quality policy

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has spread its net to inculcate standardisation and quality in the youth and children.

    Its Director-General Osita Anthony Aboloma said in line with the “World’s Standards Day” with the theme: “Standards Build Trust,” the agency was promoting awareness on standards among children and the youth as agents of change.

    He spoke in his Lagos office when he hosted some children from schools in Lagos, who made presentations on standardisation and the need to ensure quality of products  and services.

    Aboloma, who was represented by Mrs. Cynthia Ifeagwu, said standards should guide Nigerians in businesses, schools and daily live, noting that if the rudiments of standards and quality are imbibed at a young age, children and youths could identify substandard goods.

    He said: “Good habit if learnt at a young age, there is a  possibility that a youngster will grow living his life insisting on quality and standard product and services through one’s life time. Children interface with different types of food and also are in a position to drive quality standards by engaging their parents to buy goods and services with SON standards mark of quality”.

    In its presentation, Chrisland School, led by Miss Mmesoma Okonkwo, defined her understanding of what standards are and its role in economic growth. She also stated that compliance to standards could  encourage sustainable economic growth.

    Miss Oyindamola Samuel, from Agape Bundle School, said compliance to standards could make people entrust their lives to particular products. She said no product could  claim to have quality and standards except it is approved by SON.

    She encouraged the public to insist on products with SON quality mark, stressing that the mark of quality helps organisations create wealth, build trust and stand-out in the pack.

    Aboloma  educated the students on the need to get their parents to patronise quality and safe products. This, he stressed, will safeguard the them from the effects of unsafe products.

    Aboloma said his agency’s mandate was to educate the public on the dangers of substandard products in school, and to build a nation whose economy is sustainable.

    He further stated that the mandate included safeguarding people’s lives and property from the impacts of substandard products through consumer education.

    SON has recorded successes in several sectors of the economy through the SONCAP and MANCAP, which are mandatory regulatory programmes for imported and locally manufactured goods.

  • ‘Standardisation key to economic diversification’

    •Urges SONCAP managers on professionalism

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, has reiterated the central role of standards and quality assurance in the nation’s efforts to diversify its   economy   from   oil   to   other   areas   such   as   agriculture and   solid minerals for local consumption and export.

    Speaking in Abuja during a visit of the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma, to the SGF in his office, Lawal said    SON’s   mandate to promote   standardisation   and   quality assurance activities in Nigeria are key to the nation’s diversification efforts, particularly with regard to the international acceptance of the country’s produce and other export commodities and products.

    Lawal said standards remain a key benchmark for facilitating trade and investment activities among nations. He enjoined the SON DG to work closer with all relevant   ministries   and   agencies   of   government   as   well   as   stakeholders   in   the organised private sector to reverse the trend of rejection of Nigeria’s produce export.

    The SGF also reiterated the full backing of the Federal Government for the fight against the influx and circulation of substandard products  in markets being  championed  by the  SON.

    He called for the support of the citizenry in the government’s fight against corruption in all facets of the nation’s life.

    In his response, the SON Director-General expressed appreciation to  President   Muhammadu Buhari through  the SGF   for  the   confidence  reposed   in  him  to   take   the SON to the next level by his appointment.

    He promised to deploy all available resources to reposition the organisation towards delivering on its core mandate.

    Aboloma assured the SGF of his preparedness to intensify the collaboration and synergy with other stakeholders in driving the success of the economic diversification efforts,  as   well   the   fight   against   the   circulation   of   substandard   products   through diligent prosecution of offenders.

    Also, Aboloma has urged the Independent Accredited Firms (IAFs), managers of SON off shore Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) to live up to expectations of Nigerians in the inspection of goods coming into the country.

    The SON chief who gave the charge at a meeting with the program managers in Abuja, said part of the mandate given to the managers, is to ensure that only tested and certified products are allowed into the country, saying anything less will not be accepted by SON and Nigerians.

    He said, “The Independent Accredited Firms made up of INTERTEK, SGS, COTECNA and CCIC were told that the diversification of the Nigerian economy has brought a lot to bear on the SON in the development of the non-oil sector, particularly in the area of agriculture and industry.

    “You have to do all within the mandate given to you by SON to ensure that Nigerian businesses are protected from the menace of substandard products from overseas. The issue of quality should be taken seriously, Quality increases income and affect the lives of the people including health.”

    Aboloma said the interest of Nigerians should be first above  every other interest, saying the change begins with me mantra of the federal government should be effective in us all.”

    The Director General noted that change and improvement are synonymous, adding that for any system to change, it must not be rigid, there must be room for constructive criticism for the system to move forward.

     

  • SON involves women in standardisation

    SON involves women in standardisation

    The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is involving women in the promotion of  African trade as well as improving participation in international standardisation by shaping the future of African industries.

    Its Acting Director-General, Paul Angya, spoke during the celebration of the 4th African Day of Standardisation in Abuja, with the theme: Women Empowerment Development Towards AU Agenda 2063,  stating that the idea was to promote the involvement of women in regional and continental standardisation.

    He said: “It is to also involve women in regional and continental standardisation, reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers to trade, and ensure availability of uniform and consistent African standards for promotion of African trade.

    “All over the world, the issue of women empowerment is a core focus of government’s view of their economic contributions. This is also to address the role of standards in women empowerment.

    “Standard is an integral part of women development, to support production, choices in supplies as well as patronage and consumption. As the continent is working towards the establishment of a continental free trade area, women must be carried along to adopt standards for enhanced empowerment.

    “I will use this opportunity to invite all women group to support and join hands with SON in promoting the values of quality especially at the grassroots where ignorance has remained the bane for gullibility in consuming substandard and fake products. They may be cheap but remain dangerous to our finances, economy and health.”

    Angya reinstated the agency’s commitment to the promotion of patronage of certified made-in-Nigeria products as well as the support of legislations that will encourage the patronage of the products in government procurement processes to support and encourage the growth of the industrial sectors.

    The Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar said this year’s celebration honoured the contribution of African women to the development of the continent. She said African women continue to strive to take a large portion of the economy and as such must be encouraged.

  • How lack of standardisation hurts non-oil economy

    How lack of standardisation hurts non-oil economy

    Despite the renewed focus on non-oil export, following the plunge in oil prices, Nigeria has no functional laboratories for testing and certifying products before export. Experts say that lack of standardisation of made-in-Nigeria products and services frustrates efforts to leverage the non-oil sector to grow the economy. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports

    It would go down as, perhaps, the most embarrassing setback in Nigeria’s renewed push for non-oil export. Recently, five containers of beans exported from Nigeria to the Republic of Ireland were rejected and returned by the importers.

    The products were reportedly filled with weevil. Consequently, the European Union (EU) slammed a ban on beans from Nigeria. The EU did not stop there. It also warned that if appropriate measures were not taken, it would extend the ban to other products.

    For an economy severely battered by crashing oil prices at the international market, requiring urgent stimulation of the non-oil export sector to give impetus to the economic diversification agenda, this was certainly bad news and a major setback.

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lopobiri, admitted this much when he described it as “a national embarrassment”. He, however, tried to calm the anxiety generated by the issue, saying, for instance, that the EU ban is only on beans and that it would expire by June this year.

    He said the five containers of beans were returned to Nigeria because weevils were detected in them by the Republic of Island Quarantine Service. He said the containers were exported without the knowledge of the Nigerian Agriculture and Quarantine Service.

    Lopobiri hinted that the government would return the Quarantine Service back to the ports to partake in the examination of import and export containers. He added that henceforth, for any agro-product to leave the country, it has to be certified by the Quarantine Service, as this is the global practice in the United States (U.S) and other developed countries.

    But it is doubtful if stakeholders and operators in the non-oil export business were swayed by the minister’s explanations. Their fear is that the EU might extend the ban to other products, and this could hurt Nigeria’s renewed export promotion drive.

    Such fear is hinged on the plethora of challenges that have continued to hold back the non-oil sector from taking its pride of place as hub for rapid revenue base expansion, sustainable growth and employment generation. For instance, Lopobiri’s hint on possible return of the Quarantine Service to the ports underscored the challenge of inconsistent policy framework and lack of inter-agency collaboration with regards to non-oil export business.

    In 2011, the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, sacked about nine agencies, including the Quarantine Service from the ports to reduce bureaucracy. Now, the Service, including Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is pushing for a return.

    While Lopobiri argues that the return of the Quarantine Service to the ports would allow the Service partake in the examination of import and export containers, the Acting Director-General of SON, Dr. Paul Angya, believes that returning the agency to the seaport would stop the importation of sub standard goods into the country.

    However, whether or not the agencies return to the ports, it still does not resolve the more fundamental issue of lack of laboratories for testing and certifying made-in-Nigeria products before export. The lack of quality infrastructure especially laboratories to aid certification of locally produced goods for export market, has continued to erode the competitiveness of locally made products in the international market.

    “A quality infrastructure for export trade is vital and a laboratory is the way to go. If we do not have the laboratory to test those products and to verify their standard conformity to the standards obtainable abroad, they cannot be exported overseas,” Dr. Angya said. He expressed concern over Nigeria’s lack of capacity to test and certify products in the country.

    The Acting DG, who spoke during a recent working visit to Lagos, lamented that Nigeria still depends on its neighbouring countries particularly Ghana to verify compliance of suspected seized goods. “… because our laboratory is yet to be completed, some of these seized goods have to go for testing in Ghana,” he said.

    He, however, explained that the agency is speeding up the construction of this facility to make Nigeria self dependent in testing and certifying locally made products before they are exported. He said the laboratory, located at Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, is 85 per cent completed and that when completed, it would ensure that locally made products become exportable and acceptable anywhere in the world.

    Dr. Angya projected that the facility, when completed, would also aid the Federal Government’s drive for alternatives to oil export by more than 50 per cent. According to him, the laboratory will house about four different kinds of laboratories to help the country test and certify products before they are exported.

    “This laboratory is going to house about four different kinds of laboratories, which include the chemical, food and engineering laboratories and it is only when these laboratories are tested and accredited that we will stop taking our products to Ghana for testing.

    “Our products will be tested and certified in Nigeria to be exported. I believe that when this laboratory is completed, it will aid the Federal Government’s drive for alternatives to oil export by more than 50 per cent”, he added.

    A Quality Management Practitioner and National President of Association of Systems Management Consultants, Mazi Colman Obasi, told The Nation that lack of standardisation remains one of the greatest hurdles before Nigeria’s current efforts at growing the non-oil economy. He lamented that lack of a national quality infrastructure is damaging the nation’s economy and brand reputation.

    According to Mazi Obasi, a national quality infrastructure is a system of institutions, which jointly ensure that products and services produced in the country meet predefined specifications. It also provides technical support to companies so they can improve their production processes and ensure compliance with regulations or international requirements. The lack of it, he said, is not only partly responsible for Nigeria’s rising unemployment, but also why Nigeria is not globally competitive.

    Hear him: “Until we have many companies that are accredited with ISO 9000 management systems certification, we are not going anywhere; we cannot export anything. Nigeria should work towards having a quality management plan. Not up to 1, 000 companies in Nigeria are ISO certified.”

    Indeed, products and services manufactured in Nigeria lack global quality certification. They are denied access to markets in developed economies, a situation that has been a pain in the neck of manufacturers, as their productivity and competitiveness continue to suffer.

    According to Mazi Obasi and other experts, standardisation will boost the competitiveness of locally made products at the international market and ensure the global acceptance of products and services from Nigeria. This is particularly true for Nigeria considering the fact that her manufacturing sector is still emerging, depending almost totally on other countries for her supplies of manufactured products.

    The nation does not have much to offer other than raw materials and that makes the people the poorest in the world. Cocoa, rubber, shear butter, petroleum, iron ore and other commodities sell cheap from Africa and once the other continent has processed them into secondary or tertiary products like beverages, pharmaceuticals, shoes and machines, Nigerians buy them at a huge cost.

     

    SON, EU move to standardise Nigerian export

     Bad as the situation is, the SON and the EU  have begun an initiative to establish a code of practice for Nigerian agricultural products for export.

    A statement signed by the Deputy Director, Standards Directorate, SON, Mrs. Chinyere Egwuonwu, and Mrs. Irina Kireeva of EU said as part of efforts to achieve the goal, the organisations had concluded plans for a final national training on standards on code of practices for the products.

    The theme of the training, scheduled to hold in Abuja soon is Standard and Quality: Unleashing the potential of agricultural products to grow the non-oil export in Nigeria.

    The statement said the training will focus on products such as cocoa, beans, shea butter and melon. It added that the event would unveil the result of training facilitated by the organisations focusing on exports on key agricultural commodities.

    The workshop, the statement noted, would equip participants with the technicalities of the export market with regard to the issues of development of standards and the engagement of the private sector.

    It said the workshop was critical for transforming agriculture in Nigeria and would help participants understand that Africa could feed itself through agriculture and export.

    The statement, made available to The Nation, added that the training, organised by African Caribbean and Pacific Countries from the EU’s Technical Barriers to Trade, would lead to adopting modernised and commercial agriculture, which is key to transforming the country’s economy.

    Interestingly, agriculture and export are two key segments of the non-oil economy, which government is now focusing on. According to experts, the sector is more inclusive and growth-oriented. It is also more sustainable and characterised by high economic linkages.

    The hope, therefore, is that the SON, EU collaboration to standardise made-in-Nigeria products would help unlock these bountiful potentials.

  • ARSO forum to drive standardisation in Africa

    ARSO forum to drive standardisation in Africa

    The 21st African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) General Assembly meeting, scheduled to hold in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from August 10 to 14,  is expected to raise the level of awareness among African regulators on the benefits of standardisation on the continent’s  economy.

    ARSO President Dr. Joseph Odumodu said the event tagged: “The role of standards in promoting sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Africa” is aimed at creating dynamic markets within countries and among regions as part of its agricultural strategy.

    Odumodu said African Union’s (AU) vision for agriculture was to create dynamic markets within countries and between regions.

    “As regional markets become increasingly integrated, divergent and inconsistent, national and regional trade policy and standards issues constrain intra-regional trade of most commodities,’’ he said.

    He said the aim of the African Day of Standardisation was to raise awareness among African regulators, industry, academia, consumers and the entire African citizens on the benefits of standardisation on Africa’s economy. .

    Odumodu listed programmes for the event to include the made in Africa Expo, which aims at providing opportunity to present investment opportunities, strategies and success stories to a diverse range of potential partners for the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) networks.

    Odumodu said the expo would also provide a platform to exchange evolving business trends to facilitate better positioning of national and sub-regional manufacturing and production enterprises.

    The aim of ARSO General Assembly is to offer a platform for ARSO members and stakeholders to review the programmes and progress of the organisation with respect to its mandate, vision and mission.

  • How standardisation ’ll boost Africa’s competitiveness

    How standardisation ’ll boost Africa’s competitiveness

    The campaign to strengthen the competitiveness of ‘Made-in-Africa’ products through harmonisation of standards has moved a notch higher. Heads of standards authorities from 54 African countries will converge on Abuja, between 22 and 24, this month, to brainstorm on how to rally the continent to a uniform regime of standardisation, which is believed to hold the key to reducing the preponderance of sub-standard products in Africa and paving the way for industrialisation. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    The resolve to rid Nigeria of  substandard products has never been in doubt. Even before his appointment as Director-General of Standards Organisation of  Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, had, in his capacity as first indigenous Managing Director of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, demonstrated his quality consciousness when he completed the May & Baker Pharma Centre to the standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    The N4 billion pharmaceutical facility was constructed with the aim of getting the company’s products certified for sale in the international market. It also earned the pharmaceutical giant the WHO Good Manufacturing Practice certification.

    It was the same culture of quality and standards Odumodu brought to bear on his job at May & Baker that he sought to replicate at SON when he was appointed the DG in 2011. As part of efforts to enthrone the culture of quality and standards, he moved to refocus SON through the launch of a six-point agenda, comprising consumer engagement, media engagement, compliance monitoring, capacity building, global relevance and competitiveness of made in Nigeria products.

    The icing on the cake of his interventions was perhaps, the launch of ‘Zero Tolerance Campaign’ to rid Nigeria of fake and substandard products. The initiative has since paid off, reducing the preponderance of substandard products from about 85 per cent to about 40 per cent.

    Having curtailed the activities of importers and manufacturers of fake and substandard products in Nigeria and imbuing the culture of quality and standards, Odumodu now has a new responsibility placed on his shoulders: extending the campaign to the continental level where, according to him, over 80 per cent of substandard products in Africa come from outside the continent. His new charge was sequel to his election as President of African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), in Yaoundé, Cameroun, two years ago. As ARSO President, he is now is seeking synergy among National Standards Bodies (NSBs) in Africa to curtail the evils of sub-standard products through the harmonisation of standards for ‘Made in Africa’ products and services.

    ARSO is an inter-governmental body established in 1977 by the Organisation for African Unity (OAU), now African Union (AU) with support from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). With its secretariat in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the organisation is saddled with the primary responsibility of co-ordinating issues of standardisation amongst all NSBs in Africa. The purpose is to promote the harmonisation of African standards and conformity assessment systems, promote competitiveness of African goods and services by removing all  technical barriers to trade, and provide a basis for value addition on African oriented raw materials to promote industrialisation.

    ARSO also promotes self-sustainability for the continent through intra-African trade, as well as represent the continent in global issues of standardization, among others. Accordingly, ARSO is mandated to harmonise national and sub-regional African standards.

    It is also mandated to promote and facilitate exchange of experts, information and cooperation in training of personnel in standardisation activities, aside coordinating the views of its members at the ISO, International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML), Codex and other organisations that engage in standardisation activities.

    Aware that without the culture of quality and standards, ‘made-in-Africa’ products would remain uncompetitive and frustrate efforts at industrialisation, ARSO, to fulfil its mandate, has moved to break new frontiers through standardisation.

    Consequently, 54 heads of  NSBs in Africa would converge on Abuja, between 22 and 24 this month, to seek ways of strengthening the continent’s competitiveness through the harmonisation of standards for goods and services.

    At a media launch of the convention logo and information manual, and partnership drive for the conference tagged: ‘ARSO President’s Forum’ in Lagos, penultimate week, Odumodu explained that the mobilisation of all NSBs into the membership of ARSO would drive the standardisation programmes to strengthen the competitiveness of made-in-Africa products and engender regional and, or continental fusion into an economic bloc. To achieve this, he said there is need to increase ARSO’s membership from 34 to 55.

    Odumodu noted that African economies can gather their momentum to become more robust and competitive if countries in the continent constitute a powerful and vital force to fight economic saboteurs. He expressed optimism that a synergy amongst the various African countries could frustrate the activities of dealers of fake and substandard products. He reiterated the fact that over 80 per cent of sub-standard products circulating in Africa come from outside the continent, a situation which he described as quite worrisome.

    “The global activities in trade indicate that no country or continent can advance industrially, economically and socially, without the culture of quality and standards,” Odumodu pointed out, calling on stakeholders to partner and support SON and ARSO in showing the strength of Nigeria as a people  to break new frontiers through standardisation. He said on its part, SON had carried out a number of re-engineering activities, which involved organisational certification, accredited laboratories, and secretarial coordination of the Nigerian National Quality Policy (NNQP), among others.

    Odumodu said as part of effort to assist other African countries enthrone the culture of standards, SON has given a total of 800 standards valued at $9 million to African countries, which do not have the technical and financial capacity to do so. He noted that the gesture also makes harmonisation of standards easy, adding that  SON has trained standards authorities in other African countries, such as Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, on standardisation. “These countries now have their own standards bodies courtesy of Nigeria,” he said.

    The three-day ARSO President’s Forum, which is an opportunity for NSBs in Africa to synergise on how  to engineer free flow of goods, services and technology across the continent, has three sub-events, namely: the ARSO CEOs Roundtable, the ARSO Made in Africa Expo, and the African Day of Standardisation. The CEOs Roundtable is an exclusive conference for 54 heads of standards authorities in Africa since they have to iron out their differences and move the continent forward in standardisation and internal trade.

    Odumodu explained further:: “The CEOs will provide opportunity to chart a course for the standardisation of African products and the integration of a common market. Though the harmonisation of standards at both the regional and continental levels is an ongoing effort, the actual implementation of all the activities achieved so far lies on the shoulders of the CEOs to implement.”

    The Made-in-Africa Expo is a trade fair where exhibitors from  all over Africa and seekers of  standard products will meet, learn, make enquiries or transact business as they wish. A wide range of products will be on the stands and they will be good products befitting of a gathering of Africa’s standardisation experts, industrialists, marketers and seekers of high quality products.

    It also seeks to provide Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) opportunity to showcase products that have continued to remain shielded from markets because of fear of regulatory bureaucracies.

    On the other hand, the African Standardisation Day would celebrate the modest achievements and sensitise the continent on the essence of standardisation and inform the people on their various roles and responsibilities. This has become necessary in view of the technical nature of the issues involved in standardisation.

    Themed: ‘The role of standards in promoting sustainable agriculture and food security in Africa’,  the day is marked by seminars and workshop to share ideas on issues that are at the front burner and require intervention by all stakeholders.

    The forum, according to Odumodu, is structured in such a way as to achieve ARSO’s four  strategic plans 2012- 2017. They  include establishing standards harmonisation systems that supports a sound regulatory framework,  strengthening of ARSO work management capabilities for the sustenance of the organisation,  promotion of maximum and effective participation of members and other stakeholders, and disseminate harmonised standards and guidelines to support intra, inter-African and international trade and industrialisation.