NIGERIA CELEBRATES WORLD STANDARDS DAY 2017

Standards make cities smarter

The complexity associated with building smart cities is the focus of the 2017 World Standards Day celebrationson October 14 across the world.

The celebrations, being jointly coordinated by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is scheduled for Saturday, October 14, with the theme “Standards Make Cities Smarter”.

These disclosures were contained in a World Standards Day message from the office of the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Aboloma in Abuja, as a representative of the three international standardization bodies in Nigeria.

According to him, smart cities must fulfil such promises as the provision of sufficient fresh water;universal access to cleaner energy; the ability to travel efficiently from one point to another and a sense of safety and security among others, if they must remain competitive and provide a decent quality of life to their citizens.

The statement posited that every city faces its own challenges and requires its own mix of solutions, stressing that international standards remain the one common denominator that greatly simplifies the task of building smart cities.

It stated further that International Standards support the development of tailor-made solutions that can be adapted to the particular circumstances of a given city. “They contain expert knowledge and best practices, and are essential enablers in ensuring quality and performance of products and services. In addition, they drive compatibility between technologies and help users to compare and choose the best solution available” the statement emphasized.

The SON helmsman stated thatStandards open the door to a wider range of products and services; help increase competition and foster innovation, while also enabling the integration of structures or solutions from different suppliers.

“International Standards make things work safely and smoothly together at every level in cities. They provide the foundation for electricity access and all the devices and systems that use electricity and contain electronics. They also support the information and communication technologies that enable data collection, exchange and analysis, as well as information security” the statement continued.

Mr. Aboloma said further that International Standards provide important guidance for all aspects of city life, including energy-efficient buildings, intelligent transportation, improved waste management, building sustainable communities and much more.

“With Standards, we can make our cities smarter, step by step; Individual islands of smartness can grow together and interconnect. International Standards will thus support smooth and integrated smart cities”, he continued.

The SON Chief Executive stated that his organization as the representative of these international standardization bodies in Nigeria has continued to propagate these global standards through adoption and adaption for local use in all sectors. SON also organizes trainings, seminars, workshops, consumer enlightenment activities and the certification of products, systems and processes to internationally acclaimed standards all-round the year, he said. .

Mr. Aboloma disclosed that one of the activities to mark the celebration of the 2017 World Standards in Nigeria will be an interactive symposium on the theme “Standards Make Cities Smarter” with discussants to be drawn from relevant institutions and organisations involved in town planning, architectural designs, construction, energy efficiency, waste management, transportation and environmentalists among others.

He stated further that SON has continued to re-tool its processes to enhance delivery on its mandate to stakeholders in Nigeria, including easier access to standards and the promotion of various quality assurance initiatives through the deployment of information, communication technology.

The SON Chief therefore called on Nigerians at home and in diaspora, friends and associates of the nation, to join hands with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and other agencies and bodies involved in standardisation in the country to optimize the benefits of standards in all facets of the Nation’s life.

Source: ISO