TheCable

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says Nigerian manufacturers must improve on their products to maximise opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

Farouk Salim, director-general of SON, said this at the organisation’s capacity building workshop for journalists in Lagos, on Tuesday.

AfCFTA is a trade agreement between AU member states with the goal of creating a single market followed by free movement and a single-currency union.

The free-trade zone would be the largest in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organisation in 1995.

Speaking at the event, Salim said Nigerian manufacturers need to produce products that meet international standards to enable them compete favourably.

He said efforts are being made to improve standard of products and eliminate substandard goods in the country.

“We’ve done enough enforcements, discussed about how to stop all these things that are entering our country. We are working assiduously both within, outside and underground, to improve activities of the organisation so that it  can serve the country better,” he said.

“This is very important, because we have the new African free trade, where goods will be crossing borders without too much hindrances.

“So what that means for our country is, if our manufacturers are not producing standard goods, they will not cross over to the other countries, because other countries will set standards too and they will expect goods coming to their countries to be up to standard.

“So it is our responsibility as the SON to make sure our goods in this country are up to standard. We must make sure that substandard goods in the markets decrease.

“Governments should make sure that there are consequences and sanctions against any products or persons producing substandard products.

“We have to make sure that manufactured  goods, building materials are up to standard because in case of collapsed  buildings, hundreds of people lose their lives.”

The SON DG urged journalists to improve their publications in sensitising the public on the dangers of substandard products.