The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON): An Overview

You’re probably familiar with organizations that set standards to protect consumers, but you may not know much about the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON). SON plays a huge role in maintaining quality standards for locally produced and imported products in Nigeria. With a history dating back over 40 years, SON has gone through many changes to become the regulatory body it is today. In this article, we’ll give you an overview of SON, what it is, what it does, and why it’s so important. We’ll look at SON’s history, organization, functions, challenges, and its role in the Nigerian economy and impact on consumers. Reading this will help you understand the critical part SON plays in ensuring the safety and quality of products used every day.

Overview of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria

The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) is the main statutory body that regulates standards for all products in Nigeria. It was established in 1971 to promote standardization of products, methods, systems, and for connected purposes. The SON’s governing body is the Standards Council of Nigeria. This is the policy-making body in charge of managing the organization’s administration and finances. The Director General of the Organization is the Chief Executive, whose responsibilities include the day-to-day management of the Organization within the broad limits established by the Council.

SON ensures that goods and services conform to quality and safety standards and regulations. It aims to improve the quality of life for Nigerians through standardization and quality assurance.

How does SON benefit businesses and consumers?

SON benefits both businesses and consumers in Nigeria:

• It enables Nigerian manufacturers to produce goods that can compete in domestic and international markets. By complying with NIS, their products meet quality standards accepted globally.
• It protects consumers from substandard and unsafe products. With SON certification, consumers can have confidence in the quality and safety of goods they purchase.
• It facilitates trade through the use of harmonized standards and metrics. This makes it easier for Nigerian businesses to export to and import from other countries.
• It promotes industrial development and economic growth. Robust standards and quality systems drive efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness across sectors.

SON develops and reviews Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) to ensure goods and services in the country meet acceptable levels of quality and safety. It adopts and adapts international standards to suit the Nigerian environment when there are no existing standards. SON also represents Nigeria in regional and international standardization activities.

History and Establishment of the SON

The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) was established by an Enabling Act Number 56 of December 1971 the Standards Organisation of Nigeria cap 412 of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with a commencement date of January 1, 1970, when the organization began operations. The Act was amended three times: Act No. 20 of 1976, Act No. 32 of 1984, Act No. 18 of 1990, and Act No. 9 of 2004. Act No. 9 of 2004 has been repealed and replaced with Act No. 14 of 2015.

In the early days after Nigeria gained independence in 1960, there were concerns about the poor quality of goods produced locally compared to imported ones. This led to the establishment of SON to address these issues. SON started operating in January, 1970 to set standards for products and ensure compliance. It was charged with the responsibility of preparing standards for products, ensuring compliance through factory inspections and product testing.

SON develops standards for both locally made and imported goods to ensure quality. It works with stakeholders like manufacturers, consumers, and regulators to set standards. The standards help to eliminate substandard goods, protect consumers and give Nigerian goods a competitive edge. SON has developed over 20,000 standards across various sectors like food and agriculture, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering.

To enforce the standards, SON carries out factory inspections to check if manufacturers are complying with set standards in their production processes. They also test products randomly selected from the market to ensure they meet requirements before certifying them. Non-compliant products are seized and destroyed to protect consumers. Manufacturers and importers are sanctioned if found culpable of substandard products to force compliance.

Recent Developments

In recent years, SON has improved its operations through increased collaboration with stakeholders and deployment of technology. It has launched initiatives like the MANCAP certification scheme, imported products certification scheme and the SONCAP pre-shipment verification of conformity to boost standards compliance in the country. SON also intends to increase the use of technology to enhance its operations and better serve Nigerians.

Functions & Responsibilities of SON

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) was established in 1971 to promote standardization in all aspects of manufacturing and service Industries in Nigeria. Functions

SON has many functions which include the following:

• Developing new standards and reviewing existing ones. They work with manufacturers, consumers, and other stakeholders to establish standards for products, services, systems and personnel in Nigeria.
• Conformity Assessment. SON assesses manufacturers, importers and service providers to verify their products and services meet the requirements of standards and technical regulations. This is done through factory inspections, product testing and certification. Certified products are marked with the SON Conformity Mark.
• Metrology. SON maintains measurement standards and equipment to ensure accuracy and traceability of measurements in Nigeria. It also verifies measuring instruments used in trade and industry. Accurate measurements are essential for conformity assessment and enable fair trade.
• Ensuring compliance with standards through inspection, testing, and certification. They inspect and test locally made and imported products to ensure they meet the required standards before they enter the market.
• Providing quality assurance and control services to industries. They help companies improve their production processes and quality management systems to meet standards.
• Promoting standardization and quality awareness. They educate businesses, government agencies, and the public on the importance of standards and quality.
• Representing Nigeria in international standardization activities. They participate in meetings of international standards organizations like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to help develop standards that benefit Nigeria.
• Registration and certification. SON registers and certifies products, management systems, service and personnel. This verifies that standards have been met and gives a level of assurance to consumers and regulators.
• Advocating and creating awareness. SON promotes the adoption of standards through advocacy, awareness creation and education. This sensitizes stakeholders and encourages the uptake of standards.
• Protecting consumers. By enforcing standards and preventing substandard products/services, SON protects consumers from harm and ensures value for money. This safeguards public health, safety and welfare.
• Promoting competitiveness. The use of standards enhances quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness. This gives Nigerian industries a competitive edge in local and international markets.
• Provides quality management systems and education as well as training in standardization, quality assurance, and metrology. This helps to build expertise and competence in these areas across industries.
• Improving quality of life. Standards touch on all aspects of daily life by ensuring quality, safety, reliability, efficiency, interchangeability and sustainability. This contributes to an improved standard of living.
• Providing training and technical assistance on standardization, quality management, and conformity assessment. They offer courses and consulting services to build capacity in standards, quality, and metrology.
• Registration and regulation of standards, marks and certification; and Establishment and maintenance of Laboratories.
• Proffering professional advice to the government of the federation or state on specific problems relating to Standards specifications.
• Enforcement. To protect consumers and support fair trade, SON monitors products and services in the Nigerian market and takes action against non-conforming or substandard goods. This includes seizing and destroying substandard products, prosecuting offenders and imposing penalties.

In summary, the key functions of SON are: standards development, conformity assessment (testing, inspection & certification), metrology and enforcement of standards. By carrying out these functions effectively, SON aims to protect consumers, facilitate trade and promote made-in-Nigeria products.

Who is the current Director-General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria?

The current Director-General of the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) is Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke. He was appointed as the Director-General of SON by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in October 2023. Prior to becoming the Director-General of SON, Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke was an accomplished financial expert and tax consultant.

As the Director-General, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke oversees the day to day activities of SON. His responsibilities include:

• Providing leadership and direction to improve the operations of SON.
• Overseeing the development and review of Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) to ensure goods and services in Nigeria meet quality requirements.
• Ensuring that products imported into Nigeria conform to standards and technical regulations to protect consumers and the environment.
• Promoting quality culture in industries, trade and commerce in Nigeria.
• Fostering cooperation with relevant national and international standardization, quality assurance and metrology organizations.

Under Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke leadership, SON aims to improve standards compliance in Nigeria through increased monitoring and enforcement activities.

SON’S Mandatory Regulations

To ensure the quality and safety of products in Nigeria, SON has put in place several mandatory regulations that importers and manufacturers must comply with.

The Mandatory SONCAP Programme

SONCAP is a pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards process that ensures that products being imported into Nigeria comply with the applicable NIS or certified equivalents, as well as technical requirements, before export. Under the SONCAP regime, imports must be verified and tested in the nation of supply (Exporting), and a SONCAP Certificate (SC) provided demonstrating that the products fulfill the appropriate norms and regulations, or a Non-Conformity Report (NCR) if they do not. SONCAP’s conformity assessment elements include, but are not limited to, physical inspection prior to shipment, sampling, testing, and analysis in accredited laboratories, audit of product processes and systems, documentary check of regulatory compliance, and overall assessment of conformity to standards.

The Mandatory MANCAP Programme

Locally manufactured goods also need to meet certain standards. The MANCAP or Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme requires that locally made products undergo factory inspection and product testing to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards before they are released into the market. Manufacturers must obtain a MANCAP certificate to guarantee consumers that their products are safe and of good quality.

Mandatory Products Registration Programme

The Mandatory Products Registration Programme requires that certain products like cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and more undergo registration with SON before they are imported, distributed or sold in Nigeria. The registration process involves providing details about the product and in some cases, samples may be taken for testing. Only products that meet the registration requirements and standards will be approved for sale in Nigeria.

To summarize, SON’s mandatory regulations like SONCAP, MANCAP and Product Registration help safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of consumers in Nigeria. Compliance with these regulations also boosts customer confidence in locally made and imported goods.

Challenges and Criticisms Facing the SON

The SON’s primary challenge is tackling the widespread production and distribution of substandard and counterfeit goods in Nigeria’s largely unregulated markets. These harmful products endanger public health and safety. Stopping them requires constant monitoring, product testing, and enforcement of penalties against violators. For an underfunded agency, this is a monumental task.

One of the key challenges facing SON is the lack of awareness about its role and activities. Many Nigerians remain unaware of the organization and its mandate to ensure compliance with quality standards. More public awareness campaigns are needed to educate people on SON’s importance.

Corruption and bribery are ongoing issues within SON that undermine its effectiveness. Unscrupulous importers and manufacturers bribe officials to bypass inspections or gain certifications without meeting proper standards. Stronger oversight and accountability are required to curb these unethical practices.

SON lacks sufficient funding and resources to properly carry out its mandate. It does not have enough qualified staff, testing equipment, and laboratory facilities to adequately monitor the huge number of products imported and sold in Nigeria. Increased budgetary allocation from the government would enable SON to hire more staff, upgrade its technology and expand its operations.

Another criticism is that SON’s standards are outdated and not aligned with international best practices. Some of the requirements are irrelevant, while new products are not properly regulated. SON needs to regularly review and update its standards to match the current global quality norms and address emerging technologies.

SON’s operations are limited to a few major cities. It needs to expand its presence to effectively cover the entire country. Decentralizing SON’s activities to zonal and state offices would make its services more accessible to businesses across Nigeria.

In summary, the key challenges and criticisms facing SON are: lack of public awareness about its role; corruption and bribery within the organization; insufficient funding and resources; outdated quality standards; and limited geographical coverage. Addressing these issues would significantly improve SON’s effectiveness in safeguarding the welfare of Nigerians.

To improve, the SON needs increased government funding and resources. More staff, better training, and higher salaries can help curb corruption. The agency should also focus on public education campaigns to teach citizens how to spot counterfeit goods and report violators.

If these steps are taken, the future looks promising for the SON. With sound policies, adequate resources, reduced corruption, and an engaged public, the organization can make real progress ensuring product quality and safety. Manufacturers will also benefit from clear standards and a level playing field. Overall economic growth depends on a fair and well-regulated marketplace.

Contact SON

The Standards Organization of Nigeria has offices across Nigeria where you can contact them directly. To find your nearest SON office, visit their website and use the “Contact Us” tool to locate the office closest to you. You can then reach out to them through phone, email or by visiting in person.

• Address :
  • Corporate Headquarters, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Lome Crescent Wuse Zone 7 Abuja
  • Lagos Operation Office No 13/14 Victoria Arobieke Street Off Admiralty Way Lekki Peninsula Phase 1 Lagos
• Email : info@son.gov.ng
• Web : http://www.son.gov.ng/contact-son/

SON regularly engages with stakeholders through meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops across the country. Check their event calendar to find an upcoming event near you or suggest a topic you would like SON to address. Your participation and feedback help shape standards that meet the needs of all Nigerians.

Conclusion

You’ve just gotten a quick rundown of the SON Nigeria’s standards body that oversees product quality and safety. Their goal is to protect consumers by ensuring goods meet requirements. It’s not a perfect system, but the SON is working to build capacity and enforce compliance. Standards touch our everyday lives, even if we don’t realize it. Next time you buy something, check for the SON logo. It’s a small sign that attempts are being made to uphold quality. You as the consumer have a role too. Be informed, provide feedback to manufacturers, and report suspect products. Together, we can encourage continuous improvement and confidence in the Nigerian market.