WORLD STANDARDS DAY

BY: DENIS OLISEH

Today is World Standards Day!
The Standards Organization of Nigeria is using the opportunity to raise awareness of the dangers sub-standard products pose to the safety and well being of our people and the nation. It is also a day to examine the importance of standardization to the economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government, and consumers nationwide. The 14th of October was chosen to commemorate Standards Day by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to mark the anniversary of the first meeting of delegates from 25 countries that resulted in its formation to develop International Standards that facilitate trade, spread knowledge and disseminate technological advances. The 2011 World Standards Day message with the theme: International standards: creating confidence globally is endorsed by the leaders of the three principal international standardization organizations namely: Dr. Klaus Wucherer, President of the International Electrotechnical Commission, Dr. Boris Aleshin, President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The three organizations are the partners which make up the World Standards Cooperation (WSC). Their message points out that international standard for products and services underpin quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and effectiveness. In Nigeria, the Standards Organization of Nigeria was established in 1971 with the mandate which includes the preparation of standards relating to products, measurements, materials, processes and services and their promotion at national and international levels. The Organization is very strategic in the regulation of standards and enforcement of compliance of products and services to acceptable standards. The mandate also includes the certification of products, assistance in the production of quality goods and services, improvement of measurement accuracies and circulation of information relating to standards. In its 40 years of existence the S.O.N. has established offices in 30 states of the federation, comprising three zonal offices and two national offices in Lagos and Abuja and two laboratories located in Lagos and Enugu for testing. Admittedly there are serious challenges facing standards and quality management in the country such as unexplained fire incidences, building collapse, environment pollution as well as cheap and ineffective products. Nigeria has become a dumping ground for all manner of substandard products. President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged this during his official inauguration of an industrial plant in Otta, Ogun State recently. Unofficially, more than 80% of products in our markets are substandard. But since the appointment of Dr. Joseph Odumodu, as the Director-General of SON, things are beginning to change for the better.
On assumption of office, the new DG announced a six point transformational agenda to make the Agency more effective and efficient. Dr. Odumodu declared enhanced capacity building, improving Global relevance, consumer engagement and protection, compliance monitoring, encouraging made-in-Nigeria products for national development as well as media engagement as his major priorities. Amongst the achievements of the new helmsman are his zero tolerance campaign against sub-standards products which has gained wide acceptance and support from Nigerian manufacturers which has made life more difficult for economic saboteurs. The Agency has also recently opened consumer Help Desks at major markets to enable consumers make enquiries before buying any product. Corruption is being tackled as new electronic payment system has been introduced at the ports to reduce incidences of bribe of SON officials. The DG has also consistently engaged with the organized private sector and small and medium enterprises with a view to encourage local manufacturing of products among other achievements.
It is in keeping with the new momentum of activities of the Standards Organization of Nigeria to fight sub-standard products that the Agency in this year’s celebration has adopted the theme: creating confidence through zero tolerance for sub-standards products. And as we celebrate this year’s World Standard Day, we encourage all Nigerians to join the zero-tolerance campaign against substandard products for our collective safety, wellbeing and economic prosperity.

Source: FRCN daily Commentary