L-R: Director General, SON, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, Honourable Minister Of State Federal Ministry Of Industry Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh Owan, Commissioner for Commerce, Alhaji Haruna Abbas, Sultan, Sokoto State, Representative of Sultan of Sokoto, Iyan Sokoto Alhaji Aminu Bala and Director Corporate Affairs, SON Mrs Talatu Ethan during the unveiling of DG,s SON Two Years Landmark achievements in SON and commissioning of SON Sokoto office
By Valentine Amanze
Nigeria’s Minister of State Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh Owan, has restated the commitment of the federal government in expanding access to quality infrastructure, strengthen industrial development, and promote the ease of doing business across the country.
Ewan made the disclosure at the commissioning of the Sokoto Office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on November 7, 2025.
He said that the commissioning was a significant step towards decentralizing SON’s operations and bringing essential regulatory services closer to the people of Sokoto and the entire North-West Nigeria.
His words: “This event marks another milestone in our Ministry’s ongoing efforts to expand access to quality infrastructure and improve the ease of doing business across the nation.
“The establishment of this office reflects our collective vision to decentralize services and strengthen institutional presence in every part of Nigeria.”
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The minister further said that the new office in Sokoto would make standardization not just a policy concept, but a practical tool for local enterprise growth and consumer protection.
He pointed out that his ministry recognizes the critical role of SON in achieving the goals of the “Renewed Hope Industrialization Agenda.”
“Through its work in product certification, conformity assessment, and sensitization, SON provides the framework that ensures Nigerian products are safe, competitive, and globally acceptable,” the minister said.
The minister also assured that the Sokoto office would particularly support industries where the state has comparative advantage – agriculture, leather processing, solid minerals, textiles, and food production.
He added that the sectors hold enormous potential for value addition, job creation, and export diversification, assuring that SON’s presence would help unlock that potential.
“I must commend the Director General and his Management Team for their commitment to expanding SON’s reach and modernizing its operations.
“This forward-thinking approach, anchored on technology, collaboration, and continuous stakeholder engagement, reflects the spirit of innovation that our Ministry encourages across all its agencies,” he said.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador, Nura Abba Rimi, said that the commissioning represents another important stride in the nation’s collective efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s quality infrastructure and bring essential services closer to the people.
Earlier, the Director General, SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, said that the project represents another milestone in SON’s decentralization and modernization drive, describing it as a deliberate effort to bring its services closer to stakeholders and strengthen its field operations for greater national coverage.
He said that the new Sokoto Office stands as a strategic infrastructure investment designed to enhance our capacity for product certification, inspection, testing, market surveillance, and stakeholder engagement across Sokoto and neighbouring states.
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