In a bid to enhance its capacity to enforce adherence to standard by manufacturers in Nigeria, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has spent about N15 billion on facility upgrade including the structure and equipment at its complex in Lagos.
Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, stated this when the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh, paid a working visit to the SON laboratory complex at Ogba in Lagos.
Okeke said the SON laboratory serves as the bedrock of conformity assessment, providing essential testing and analysis across critical sectors, including mechanical engineering, energy, food safety, petroleum products, and microbiology, adding that these activities directly support the federal government’s drive towards economic diversification, industrialisation, and global competitiveness.
“We conduct product tests to ensure our processes are effective for our clients, who are manufacturers. We test their samples and products to ensure they comply with our established standards.
“This need led to the development of an edifice like this (the laboratory complex) to house our laboratory facilities. The idea originated in 2000 when we acquired this site, and we commenced construction of this gigantic edifice in 2013.
“This compound spans about 10,000 square metres, approximately one hectare. Over time, we have spent about N15 billion on this facility, including the structure and the equipment on site.
“We also have regional laboratories across the six geopolitical zones of the country to ensure that our services reach everyone who needs them.
“We have laboratories in Kaduna, Uyo, Awka, Bauchi, Abuja, and this one in Lagos. This ensures we can effectively serve our clientele. We also have our Mobile Testing Laboratory, which caters to clients with heavy equipment that cannot be easily moved.”
In his remark, the minister commended the organisation on its capacity to police manufactured goods to ensure quality, and advised against lowering its standards but to deliver promptly on the expectation of the government.
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The minister decried the counterfeiting of original Made-in-Nigeria products, vowing to protect local companies to boost employment.
He said: “The experience I’ve had in the last three days on the matter of counterfeit products is terrible. Local manufacturers of high-quality products are losing out in the market to fake products brought in through smuggling to compete with our local products. Together with SON, we will protect these companies that believe in our country.”
