SON IS MOVING FROM STANDARDS PROVIDERS, REGULATORS TO BUSINESS FACILITATORS

L-R  Permanent Secretary, Fed. Min. of Industry, Trade & Investment, Aminu Bisalla, DG, SON Osita Aboloma and Mr. Airhodion Moses, Director, General Services, FMITI at the Management Retreat in Markurdi

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has graduated from being just standards providers and regulators to being business facilitators as part of its contributions to the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Director General of SON Osita Aboloma stated this at the Ministerial Retreat of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Makurdi with the theme “Implementing the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) through Industry, Trade and Investment “.

He was contributing to a discussion on “Improving the Nigerian Business Environment for Domestic and Foreign Investments” at the opening of the Retreat held in Makurdi over the weekend.

According to him, SON has embarked on massive training and retraining of its staff Nationwide in such areas as good customer relationship, complaints handling and alternative dispute resolution techniques.

Mr. Aboloma reiterated the tremendous gains of the robust collaboration between SON and its Stakeholders in standards development and implementation as well as the fight against the influx and circulation of substandard products.

These he said, include the subsidized services to MSMEs and members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in sale of standards, certification, laboratory testing, import permits for raw materials and machinery among others.

Declaring the retreat open, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah stated that the retreat provides a congenial atmosphere for the critical study of the recently launched Federal Government economic recovery growth plan with a view to designing strategies for its implementation in the industry, trade and investment sector.

Dr. Enelamah challenged staff of the ministry and its parastatals to demonstrate courage in taking actions that will change the structure of the economy and make it more productive even in the way government business is being conducted.

According to him, this year’s retreat is significant in view of the high expectations of Nigerians from the Government for a rapid turnaround of the Nation’s economy. The objectives of the retreat he said, include to create a conducive platform for the top management of the Ministry and its parastatals to brainstorm on the ERGP and evolve strategies for achieving industrial targets in the plan document.

Others, he said are to discuss topical issues relating to inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Nigeria; to provide inputs for the finalization of the draft strategic plan for the FMITI and its parastatals and promote inter-agency collaboration, create synergies and mobilize support for efficiency through joint programmes, projects and activities as well as discuss strategies for the achievement of the ministry’s mandate.

Source: ISO