As part of the Organization’s mandate of sensitizing and collaborating with stakeholders across all sectors, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) recently met with stakeholders in Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPMDA) market for a One -Day Sensitization programme tagged “Expanding Frontiers of Auto Spare Parts Sector via Standardisation”.
Addressing the gathering, the Director General and Chief Executive, Mallam Farouk Salim informed that the meeting was to seek out better ways to collaborate between SON and the Auto parts dealers in the pursuit of standardization and also ensuring that only goods with high standards and quality is sold in their market in line with International Best Practices.
The DG while attesting to the empowerment given to SON by the Act setting it up, by arresting and prosecuting offenders, thereby ensuring sanity in the system and at the same time boosting confidence of Consumers ,he charged that those engaging in cloning of successful brands to make quick gains will face the wrath of the law.
According to Salim, Auto-Spare parts production is worth trillions of dollars and is a very important sector in the development of the economy of the Nation and therefore said there is no reason to import fake and substandard products into the Ccountry especially when SON has already provided guidelines to guide Importers and Indigenous manufacturers on standardisation.
He also spoke to them about the Organization’s Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) for goods imported into Country and the MANCAP scheme for locally manufactured goods and advised them to key into the program as the benefits of having such certification for their products are enormous.
The SON helmsman also took time to sensitize them about the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA) and how its going to be of great gain to Nigeria and Africa in general, so there was need to take optimum advantage of this huge African market by ensuring that we are marketing and selling goods of high-quality standards.
As such ASPMDA should be a destination point for other neighbouring West African countries and beyond and this can only be achieved through standardisation.
The DG assured that SON has an open door policy to public complaints as well as innovative ideas that will help to sanitize the market from fake and substandard products so as to grow their businesses whilst advising them to also key into the new Products Authentication Mark (PAM) as it would allow for easy identification of fakes products in the market.
The National Coordinator, SON Sensitization Pprogramme and Senior Special Assistant to the DG on Special Duties, Chief Emeka Duru also addressed participants at the workshop on SON’s mandate and the ease of doing business initiative, urging stakeholders who do the right thing on having the protection and backing of the Organisation, while warning that those who engage in sharp practices will have no hiding place for them going forward.
Presentations were made by different Directors drawn from the various Department in SON after which the programme ended with Questions and Answers Session.
