Some of the participants at the event.
‘SON boss also advised stakeholders to adhere to the requirements of the SONCAP to facilitate their trade, ensure delivery of quality goods to Nigerians’
By Valentine Amanze
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has appealed to manufacturers and importers to embrace Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) as a veritable tool for regulating importation of quality goods into Nigeria.
The Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim, made the appeal at a one-day sensitization programme on SONCAP the agency held in collaboration with with COTECNA, one of the Internationally accredited firms involved in conformity assessment of imported raw materials, machinery and finished products, at Calabar, Cross Rivers State, recently.
Represented by the Director, South South Operations, Mr. Usman Mohammed, the SON boss also advised stakeholders in the state to adhere to the requirements of the SONCAP to facilitate their trade, ensure delivery of quality goods to Nigerians and enhance economic growth.
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Salim , who spoke on “SONCAP: Facilitating Quality Imports into Nigeria for Economic Development”, explained that the forum was to educate stakeholders on the significance of the SONCAP scheme to trade facilitation, discuss challenges and proffer workable solutions.
He commended the Cross River State government and the people for supporting SON and its activities.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs. Abigail Duke, who represented the state government, advocated for an aggressive drive towards export of Nigeria’s agro and allied products particularly from the state.
She further disclosed that the state government was prepared to work in collaboration with SON and COTECNA to facilitate export of Agro Allied Products globally.
She however requested that an office of COTECNA be opened in Calabar to assist importers and prospective exporters from Cross River State in that regard.
In his address, COTECNA Country Manager, Mr. Ade Adediran, enumerated the organisation’s value added services in the SONCAP scheme, explaining that his outfit has had partnership with SON on the scheme for over a decade.
He stated that COTECNA has been in Nigeria since 1984, adding that it has the capacity to facilitate quality import as well as export out of Nigeria.
