AfCFTA: SON Commences Regulation of Management System Services

Ahead of the full implementation of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has commenced regulation of Management System Certification (MSC) services in the country.

Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, who made the remark in Lagos said bringing sanity into management system practice would go a long way to eradicating quackery in the practice, while also giving Nigeria the competitive and comparative advantage to compete in the trade pact.

The Director General, while highlighting the benefits of MSC to trade, said MSC helps to improve productivity and efficiency, reduce cost for businesses, increase market share and gain access to new markets.

He said the move was to put an end to uncertified and incompetent certification bodies who shortchange the unsuspecting Nigerian consumers.

Salim, however stated at a one day stakeholders’ engagement for the National Register for Conformity Assessment Practitioners (NRCAP) in Lagos, that the stakeholders’ engagement forum is important to reiterate that conformity assessment practice is very central to the sustenance of commercial success and continuity in all sectors, pointing out that the role of management systems practitioners is vital to ensuring that practices carried out by the industries are in alignment with international best practice in terms of the expectations of existing conformity assessment standards.

In his words: “In view of the importance of the authenticity and traceability of products and services, adjudged to have met the requirements of relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards and other approved specifications, SON seeks to pursue the implementation of, Part II, Section 4(d) and Part III, Section 5 of the SON Act No.14 of 2015, via the operation of the NRCAP scheme, in order to establish a directory of verified and registered Conformity Assessment Practitioners in Nigeria for all laboratories, Management system Consultants, Training Service Providers, Certification bodies, inspection bodies, inspectors, auditors and assessors.”

DG SON lamented that the lack of regulations of the activities of practitioners over the years has negatively impacted the industry and country significantly which includes poor protection of genuine practitioners from the negative impacts of unhealthy competition by quacks, poor visibility and recognition of genuine and competent practitioners capable of attracting patronage and partnerships for enhanced trade relationship and poor value for money for unsuspecting customers patronising quacks who deliver poor services.

Salim stated further that the unavailability of an official register of competent practitioners to aid national planning and coordination of economic activities that border on standardisation and quality assurance is also a challenge hindering professional management system practice in the nation.

“This engagement is guided by the strategic collaboration/partnership that SON shares with your various organizations over time especially with the SON Management Systems Certification and Training Services departments with which you interface through your customers, of which you are expected to bring to bear, your wealth of experience to this national call,” he added.

The SON boss disclosed that the registration processes including approved guidelines, expectations of benchmarking Conformity Assessment standards and interests while developing the documents were taken into considerations to ensure that the impartiality of the process is assured.