Taiwo Hassan 
The Kano branch of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called for the proper positioning of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at the country’s entry points in preparation for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. National Vice President of MAN, North West Zone, Alhaji Ali Madugu, made the call in Kano while receiving the Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, who was on a working visit to the state.
Alhaji Madugu emphasised the need for SON’s quality verification of all imported products including those from West African countries, even with the rule of origin in the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme. According to him, the commencement of the AfCFTA further underscores the need for SON’s presence at the entry points to prevent Nigeria from being turned into a dumping ground of substandard, fake and counterfeited products from other African countries.
He acknowledged the need for product authentication as an additional tool to fight faking, adulteration and unfair competition with substandard products in the market and urged SON to look at the best way to implement it without putting genuine manufacturers at disadvantage in terms of cost and the procedure for compliance.
He commended Mallam Salim’s approach to addressing the concerns of about 140-member strong, North West branch of MAN and enumerated issues for his further consideration. These, according to him, include decentralisation of SON testing facilities through building of additional laboratories across the country, including Kano, easier processing of import documents without necessarily visiting SON headquarters in Abuja, greater protection of local manufacturers’ MANCAP certified products from adulteration and faking of their brands in Nigeria and overseas as well as unfair competition with substandard imports.
Other members of the North West branch of MAN Executive Committee called for an upgrade and enlightenment of members on the SON offshore conformity assessment programme (SONCAP) portal, as well as the inspection procedure, sampling and testing relating to the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for locally manufactured products.
Salim responded that SON was set up to provide technical assistance and support to genuine local manufacturers as well as protect them from unfair competition from substandard products. He acknowledged their sacrifices through investment in infrastructure, creation of job opportunities and regular payment of taxes as part of growing the nation’s wealth and assured them of his commitment and support.
