By Abdullahi Jalalludeen
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding consumers, promoting product quality and ensuring that goods circulating in the Nigerian market comply with established standards of quality and safety.
The commitment was reiterated during a road walk organised by the SON Kano Regional Office as part of activities to commemorate 2026 World Standards Day.
Speaking during the exercise, the Deputy Director of SON, Kano Regional Office, Dr. Ado Ibrahim, who represented the Regional Director, Mr. Albert Wilberforce, and the Director-General SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, emphasised the organisation’s resolve to strengthen standardisation, promote compliance with relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards and curb the circulation of substandard and counterfeit products.
He noted that standardisation remained fundamental to protecting public health and safety, promoting fair trade, supporting local industries and building consumer confidence in products manufactured, imported and distributed within the country.
Dr. Ibrahim highlighted Kano’s strategic importance to SON’s operations, describing the state as a major commercial and industrial centre whose economic activities make effective quality assurance and regulatory compliance particularly essential.
According to him, the walk was designed to sensitise manufacturers, traders, distributors and consumers to their respective responsibilities in ensuring that only safe, reliable and quality-compliant products reach the market.
The Director-General, SON urged manufacturers and business owners to prioritise quality in their production processes and ensure full compliance with applicable Nigerian Industrial Standards. Consumers were equally encouraged to make informed purchasing decisions by patronising products that meet prescribed quality and safety requirements and to report suspected substandard goods through appropriate channels.
He further underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government agencies, manufacturers, traders, distributors and consumers in strengthening Nigeria’s quality infrastructure and protecting the public against unsafe and inferior products.
SON reiterated that its mandate encompasses product certification, regulatory enforcement, quality assurance and public enlightenment, all of which are essential to promoting responsible business practices and supporting the growth of legitimate enterprises.
The walk reinforced SON’s message on standardisation as a shared responsibility requiring the active participation of all stakeholders.
The organisation therefore called on manufacturers, traders and consumers to embrace quality as a collective commitment, stressing that product quality is indispensable to consumer safety, economic growth and business sustainability.
This years celebration themed “Shared Vision for a Better World, with Spotlight on SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.”
The event brought standardization and consumer protection advocacy to the streets of Kano, a major commercial and industrial hub in Northern Nigeria.
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