The director-general, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, has said the organisation remains committed to the growth and protection of local manufacturing companies in Nigeria.
Okeke gave the pledge in Ilorin, Kwara, in his address at a One-Day Stakeholders Forum for Manufacturers, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Importers and Exporters.
The theme of the workshop is: “Standard- “The Pillar for Innovation, Safety and Sustainable Development.”
He stated that protection of local manufacturing companies remained a main agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration in its tasks to discourage importation of goods and services.
According to him, development of manufacturing industries will reduce the production of substandard products, thereby, accelerating the economic growth of the country.
The director general, who was represented by SON’s director, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Talatu Ethan, said one of the cornerstones of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s industrial policy is the ‘Nigeria First Policy.’
“This is not just a directive from above, it is a challenge to every Nigerian to look inward, support homegrown solutions, and raise the quality of local production.
“For this vision to be meaningful, we must anchor it on credible quality infrastructure.
“At SON, we are responding by scaling up our certification, training, and monitoring systems to give Nigerian-made products the credibility they deserved,” he said.
According to him, promoting the Nigeria First Policy is about positioning Nigerian entrepreneurs, artisans, and manufacturers to compete favourably, not just within our borders but across West Africa and beyond.
Okeke pointed out that standards remained how SON translated patriotic intention into economic success.
“We must move from seeing standards as regulatory burdens to understanding them as business enablers.
“Compliance with standards is not a favour to SON, it is an investment in your own credibility. competitiveness, and long-term relevance,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to reflect on how innovation could thrive in an environment of order and predictability.
“From the way we build our homes, process our food, or power our industries, standards serve as the invisible framework that upholds integrity, quality, and sustainability,” he said.
Also speaking, the Regional Director, North Central, SON, Dr Marline Waziri stressed the need for stakeholders to continue to ensure the production of quality products.
She said this would go a long way in giving them integrity and also allowing their products to compete with other products in international markets.
“Our mandate is to regulate and to support, guide and empower businesses, particularly our small and medium-scale enterprises and local manufacturers to grow, compete and thrive both locally and internationally.
“Let me also reiterate that standardisation is not a barrier, it is a bridge. A bridge to new markets. A bridge to safer products and a bridge to sustainable development of the nation,” she said.
