SON plans to establish laboratory complex in Calabar

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria, (SON) has concluded plans to establish its laboratory complex in Calabar, the Cross River state capital.

The Director General, SON, Farouk Salim, who disclosed this while on inspection of the park, said the laboratory would be built at the Ayade Industrial Park, Calabar where there was a cluster of industries built by the Ayade administration.

Salim said the size of the industrial park and the industries there was amazing despite Cross River’s meagre federal allocation.

The DG SON said, “It is amazing what has been done here by His Excellency and to think it was done despite Cross River being number 35 out of 36 in the country in terms of allocation.

“It’s amazing that with that little income the state has been able to harness and build such a facility. It is quite impressive and the most important thing about this facility is that locally, it is going to create many opportunities for people from farmers, to processors and to the off-takers who sell the products.

“It is a very interesting and a special approach by a state government which I have not seen so far in the country.”

He hinted that the industrial park was one of the choice areas in the state and it was a wonderful opportunity for the organisation to site its operations there.

According to him, SON was ready to endorse the products of the industrial park after passing through the certification process.

Ayade commended SON for choosing to site its laboratory complex in Calabar, and described the decision as a validation of his industrialisation policy and dividend of socketing to the central government