SON seeks manufacturers support on ease of doing business

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at the ongoing Abuja International Trade Fair has called on manufacturers to key into the recorded feats on the federal government on improving the ease of doing business.

This is even as it has said it has aligned fully with the Federal Government’s stance on improving the business environment and implementing the requirements of the Presidential Executive Order 003 on the ease of doing business.

The Director General, Osita Aboloma, disclosed this at the SON Special Day Event at the on-going 2018 Abuja International Trade Fair.

Represented by the SON, FCT Coordinator, Gambo Dimka, the Director General said SON a service-oriented Organisation has been supporting manufacturers and producers of goods and services through standardization and quality assurance schemes.

The agency’s activities according to him, are also aimed at the protection of lives and properties, promoting access to local and foreign markets for made-in-Nigeria products through improved consumer confidence as well as value addition to business in general.

Aboloma enumerated transparent service delivery through placement of information on website for easy access; electronic services for key activities such as the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for locally manufactured products; the off-shore Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) for imported products and Management Systems’ Certification as some of the key achievements of SON in the ease of doing business programme.

Others include reduction of service charges for purchase of standards, testing and training for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), reduction in the processing time for products certification to 60 days and electronic laboratory results.

The SON helmsman stated further that cooperation with key agencies through signed Services Level Agreements (SLAs), opening of new State Offices, evolving communication strategies for effective information dissemination and awareness creation as well as massive infrastructural development, including for Laboratories are also

Also speaking at the occasion, Vice President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Chief Chidinma Johnson Aniene harped on the importance of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria in driving business growth, particularly for the micro, small and medium scale enterprises.

He stated that the 13th Abuja International Trade Fair was organized principally to accelerate and promote growth of the business industry, promote the non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy, direct attention on the Private sector, promote infusion of technology in production and attract direct foreign investments into the country.

Chief Aniene called on SON not to relent on its efforts of improving lives of Nigerians on the dangers of using sub-standard products but to also increase its tempo towards smaller businesses to grow.

In her goodwill message at the occasion Patricia Bako, Vice President (North) Nigeria Association of Women Entrepreneurs, enthused the great improvement of the Association since they started collaborating with SON. She expressed high expectations that more members of the Association would be on board for greater collaborations before the end of the year.

Participants at the SON special day programme included pupils of Dominion International School, Abuja, trade groups, civil society organizations as well as others from public and private sectors organizations.