SON Moves to Enforce Standards

Osita Aboloma

Dike Onwuamaeze

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is partnering with the Association of Nigerian licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and electronic dealers to achieve an effective and speedier service

delivery at the port.

The Director General of SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, gave this assurance recently, during an interactive session with journalists. He described the partnership as a welcomed development and in line with the mandate of SON to facilitate trade at the port.

He assured that the partnership would benefit all parties as long as they remained within the limits of law, adding that the automation of SON’s services is flawless and reduces the turnaround time for clearing of goods.

“By the way, I will let you know that we have automation in respect to products registration, and we also have automation in respect to pre-shipment document, that’s SONCAP. It allows you to get our documents certifications before you ship goods to Nigeria. It’s a clearing documents per say. So, when somebody deliberately misinformed the public that he incurred demurrage because of SONCAP, that amount to false claim.

“Because you cannot ship in your goods into Nigeria without some form of qualify certifications. It makes our job easier without compromising the quality of goods that comes into Nigeria,” Aboloma said.

 The director general also explained that the agency’s partnership with electronic dealers would, “give them the benefit of doubt that they will do the right things. But, basically, coming under association does not exonerate people from deliberate attempt to reduce the quality of the products that are being sold to Nigerian consumers.

 “Therefore, we will continue to hold them collectively and individually liable for nonconformity to our standards. We have raised the bar, and informed them accordingly. Because, we have discovered that most of the products that are sold in Alaba market are life threatening to the health of consumers. And anything that is not up to international best practice or Nigerian minimum standards will be seriously frowned at.”  

 Reacting to the director general’s comments, the National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike, said the association is partnering with SON in the area of ease of doing business and on how to make things work seamlessly in the port.

 According to Nwabunike, the federal government through the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yomi Osibajo, was championing the campaign on the ease of doing business.
“So, what we want is a situation where all the agencies in the port and stakeholders like us will be working in tandem to achieve that result.
“Therefore, we seek to draw the attention of the federal government through SON to some issues relating to border line products between SON/NAFDAC on products such as diaper, engine oil, packaging product, cotton buds, etc.” Nwabunike said.