By Samuel Itsede
Director General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Barr. Anthony Aboloma, has described Nigeria as a haven for imported goods.
Aboloma said this in Enugu at a one-day general public sensitisation on Ports and Borders operation organised in conjunction with a consultancy firm, CONCIO Ltd.
Represented at the occasion by Engr. David Obi, Regional Coordinator, South East, Aboloma said that as a regulatory organisation, SON has a role to play, ensuring that products coming into Nigeria meet the required national and international standards.
He said that to ensure standards are maintained, SON carries out surveillance in what they call Standard Organisation of Nigeria Offshore Conformity Assessment Procedure, SONCAP.
He also said they embark on E-registration of products being imported into the country as well as other measures to facilitate the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Abolomo who said that the essence of the sensitisation programme was to sensitise the public on the need to have a wholesome products into the country, noted that they invited heads of security agencies to be part of the programme because “SON alone will not be able to achieve the object of checking importation of fake and substandard goods.
“Close examination of these activities shows they are tailored towards ensuring good quality products in the country which support strongly safety and effectiveness of the use of the products,” he said.
Explaining further the essence of the seminar, SON coordinator for Enugu and Ebonyi States, Mr. Kassim Mohammed Yahaya said that the programme was to create awareness about the operations of SON in adding value to the economy by checking the importation of substandard goods.
He also said that the essence of the seminar was to facilitate trade and also to help local manufacturers and investors on the best way to export their goods.
