Dike Onwuamaeze
In a recent interview, Mrs. Theresa Ojomo, the Acting Regional Director of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) for the Lagos Region, discussed the agency’s commitment to providing support for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Nano businesses. She emphasized that SON is working towards helping these operators standardize their products and obtain MANCAP and SONCAP certifications.
Ojomo made these remarks during a road walk event last week, which commemorated the 2024 World Standards Day (WSD). The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of standards and quality in everyday products.
“The theme for this year’s World Standards Day is ‘Our Shared Vision for a Better World,’ and we are focusing on innovation, infrastructure, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence,” she said. “SON is dedicated to advancing the Sustainable Development Goal 9, which emphasizes infrastructure and innovation. We aim to integrate all MSMEs and Nano organizations to ensure they have the resources necessary to access standards such as MANCAP and SONCAP.”
Ojomo highlighted that SON is working to simplify the standardization process for smaller businesses, recognizing their concerns about high compliance costs associated with application procedures, testing, and quality assurance. “We have initiated schemes that are economically viable for these enterprises, as we understand that many MSMEs find it challenging to meet the rigorous standards required for conformity,” she explained.
She also pointed out that SON conducts annual visits to micro and Nano operators, a process designed to be manageable. “We want to ensure that certification is affordable for them. That’s why we’re transitioning them to the MANCAP scheme, assuring that even the smallest unit can participate,” she added.
