The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says effective standards are crucial to improving product quality, protecting consumers and strengthening Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.

The director-general of SON, Ifeanyi Okeke, said this at the 2026 World Standards Day celebration, with the theme “Shared Vision for a Better World”, on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Okeke said standards promoted trust, fair competition and sustainable development while helping Nigerian products meet quality requirements in domestic and international markets.

He urged manufacturers, traders and other businesses to comply with relevant standards and ensure that products carried appropriate SON certification marks.

The director-general highlighted SON’s digital standards platform, which provided access to standards and supported more efficient processes.

He also said the organisation was strengthening market surveillance, product authentication and traceability to curb substandard products and protect consumers.

Mr Okeke said SON had approved 80 standards in 2024 to support the compressed natural gas (CNG) ecosystem, including conversion kits, storage vessels and refuelling stations.

He said the organisation’s energy labelling initiative would help consumers make informed choices and encourage the use of energy-efficient appliances.

Mr Okeke called for stronger cooperation among the government, industry and consumers to promote quality products, responsible production and a more competitive Nigerian economy.

Stakeholders at the event called for stronger compliance with standards, wider access to clean energy and respect for intellectual property.

The national president of the Female Farmers Apex Cooperative Society Ltd., Maimuna Habib, urged SON and development partners to make quality-assured clean energy technologies affordable for women farmers and traders.

“Solar-powered refrigeration, clean energy for agro-processing and reliable renewable energy systems can help women reduce losses, preserve food quality, improve productivity and increase their incomes,” she said.

Ms Habib, a former chief veterinary officer of Nigeria, said her office built the shed in Wuse Market where Fulani women sell fresh cow’s milk (nono).

She said empowering women required infrastructure, appropriate technology, quality standards and institutional support.

The acting managing director of Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), Onya Ojiji, said the company was working with stakeholders to phase out individual generators in its markets.

He said Wuse Market was a good example of the shift to cleaner energy, which would cut business costs, improve safety and reduce pollution.

Mr Ojiji said AMML would deepen its partnership with SON to promote energy efficiency, clean energy adoption and compliance with standards in markets across the Federal Capital Territory.

The director-general of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), John Asein, urged manufacturers, businesses and consumers to reject shortcuts that compromised quality.

Mr Asein, who was represented by the commission’s chief information officer, Mary Adegbile, said piracy was not a harmless shortcut but an attack on creativity, investment and the rule of law.

He said the NCC would continue to enforce the Copyright Act 2022 against infringement, adding that standards protected the quality of what was produced, while copyright protected the value of what was created. 

(NAN)