Katsina pledges support to products standardisation

The Kastina State Government in North West Nigeria has pledged to support the standardisation campaign, a cardinal tool employed by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to raise awareness and improve competitiveness of Nigerian products.

The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, made the call when the management team of SON, led by the Acting Director General, Dr. Paul Angya paid him a courtesy call in Katsina, the state capital at the weekend.

He said at a time the state was trying to rejuvenate the agricultural sector, no stone should be left unturned to achieve the desired result.

“At a time we are moving from oil, the state is rejuvenating the agricultural sector to boost earnings from our products, therefore, quality control is critical to this development,” he explained.

He also expressed delight that the SON is now focusing on standards of exported products which, according to him, is a paradigm shift from the old ways of focusing on imported goods only.

In his remarks, the Acting Director General, SON, Dr. Paul Angya said that the essence of the visit was to sensitise the citizens on the organisation’s services and how the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can benefit from the services.

“It became necessary to embark on this interactive programme in order to draw attention to the place of standard and quality in the commendable agricultural and industrial policies of the different tiers of government in Nigeria in the drive to strengthen the non oil sector’, Angya said.

He revealed that the agency, through its activities, was elaborating standards for products and services as well as ensuring that the quality of goods produced locally or imported meets required quality for use through compliance with relevant standards.