The Nigerian Government has approved 114 New Standards for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to boost its economic growth.
The decision was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
The approval was contained in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary FederalMinistry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA.
According to the statement, the Minister, Richard Adebayo stated that the newly approved standards are economic regulatory and industrial importance particularly with the ongoing implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as it cut across various sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The statement also said Mr. Adebayo who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo said the new standards cut across various sectors of the economy such as civil and building engineering, food technology, mechanical, liquefied petroleum gas as well as Energy Management systems.
The Minister explaining that “77 of the New Standards were adopted from existing International Standards, 26 were newly introduced while 11 were reviewed to meet changing economic and technological requirements.”
The statement further enumerated some of the standards approved by the Minister as Cassava Peal Products, Maize Bran as livestock feed, Halal Food with specified requirements for each step involved in the production and guidelines for the use of the term “Halal” in Foods in Nigeria and Practice for Planting and Harvesting of Tea as well as Hygienic Practice for Processing and Packaging of products.
“Other Standards for Energy Management Systems Requirements with guidance for the use of various types of gas cylinders, safe handling.
“Use and storage for permanent, liquefied or dissolved compressed gases as well as a guide for standards developers in SON and other organizations in Nigeria” he said.
The statement commended the Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim and his Management for achieving 96 percent in the implementation of the approved Nigerian National Standardisation Strategy (NNSS) despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic activities in Nigeria and globally.
It recalled that the NNSS, in June of 2020 identified a total of 658 standardisation projects in key priority areas classified by economic sectors as highlighted in the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and other related National Strategic Plans.
The statement also acknowledged the Director General (SON), Mallam Farouk Salim while presenting a report, as stating that the Agency developed and approved 2021 2024 Strategic Plan to provide a clear guide towards the implementation of planned programmes and evaluation as he enumerated key projects executed by the Agency such as facelift of the Corporate Headquarters Complex as well as commissioning of the Permanent site for SON Office and Laboratory Complex in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State and some completed facilities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Ilorin, Kwara and Bauchi States.
Adding that Mallam Salim stated that construction was ongoing on in Anambra, Kogi States and the National Metrology Institute. Enugu while the Sokoto State Government recently performed a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the SON prototype Office, Laboratory Complex and Storage Facility in the State and the work is ongoing while Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Bayelsa, Nassarawa and Cross Rivers States have allocated lands for the construction of SON permanent Offices and Laboratory Complexes in the States following his request during the official visits to the State Governors.
“Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMESS) has been signed with the Katsina
