The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has uploaded the list of products certified under its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) to its official website to help consumers identify quality products.

The director-general of SON, Ifeanyi Okeke, disclosed this at the ongoing Canva Expo at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, on Friday.

The SON chief said the agency’s outreach was in line with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda.

“This development will help consumers find and buy quality products easily. It puts the power of choice in the hands of the Nigerian consumer, and it rewards manufacturers who have done the right thing by meeting our standards,” said Mr Okeke, who led a team of SON staff members to the exhibition.

He urged members of the public to visit the SON website to verify certified products, adding that they should report any product carrying a fake or doubtful certification mark.

Mr Okeke explained that the agency’s participation at the expo was to take its quality message directly to manufacturers, small business owners and consumers.

“Our presence here is about meeting businesses where they are. Many creative and small enterprises have excellent products but do not know how to get them certified.

“Certification opens doors to bigger markets, here at home and across Africa, and it protects the consumer,” Mr Okeke said.

Mr Okeke added that made-in-Nigeria goods must meet international standards to compete globally under the federal government’s “Nigeria First” policy.

At the SON stand, officials engaged exhibitors and visitors on product certification under the Nigerian Industrial Standards.

They also explained MANCAP, which covers locally made goods, and the SON Conformity Assessment Programme for imported products.

Visitors were taught how to spot substandard and counterfeit products, how to check the SON authentication mark and how to report suspicious goods.

Small and medium-sized businesses received guidance on the certification process, from application through testing to approval.

(NAN)