Standards Organization of Nigeria

For any production or industrial process, we have a collection of guidelines or specifications used to guarantee that products or services satisfy certain quality standards.

To provide a constant and predictable level of quality across a variety of products and markets, these standards may be set by industry groups, governmental bodies, or international organizations.

A product’s performance, dependability, safety, and durability requirements are included in quality standards, along with specifications for the materials, components, and manufacturing processes.

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The post is about the agency that represents the interest of the Government and the people on matters surrounding the quality standards involved in the production of goods in the country including those imported from the country. We examine the historical background, responsibilities, and organizational structure of the agency 

Standards Organization of Nigeria 

The Standards Organization of Nigeria is one of the various agencies set up by the Nigeria Government. The agency’s core function is to ensure that every product produced in Nigeria or imported into the country is of good standards. Therefore, their overall tasks are driven toward accomplishing the core function. 

History of Standard Organization of Nigeria 

Every establishment has its history behind the establishment and as such, the Standard Organization of Nigeria has its own background story on how and why it was established. 

The Standards of Organization, SON for short came into existence in January 1970 and had the Enabling Act Law of 1971 backing its establishment to function as an agency of the Nigerian government.

Initially, the enabling Act number 56 was the first act law on which the agency was based before several amendments happened. Now we have, the Act of No 14 as the enabling law for which the organization is based on. 

See more details of the history here. Also, you can read about the current enabling Act backing the organization by clicking here. 

Organisational Hierarchy in Standard Organization of Nigeria 

The head of the Standards Organization of Nigeria is the Director General and the responsibilities that come with the position involve ensuring that the daily running and the general responsibilities of the organization are smooth and the execution is on the right course.

The President appoints the director general of the organization and sends the name to the Senate for evaluation and confirmation. 

The director general is the head of the Standard Council, the governing body to oversee the operations of the agency. The functions of the standard council include:

• Advising the Federal Government of Nigeria generally on the national policy on standards;
• Standards specifications;
• Quality control and metrology;
• Designating, establishing, and approving standards;
• Determining the overall policy of SON

Standards Organization of Nigeria Departments

SON has several departments to help delegate tasks and achieve the overall goal of the organization. The departments present in the organization include the following 

• Procurement Department 
• General Services Department 
• ICT Department 
• HR Department 
• Metrology 
• Product Certifications 
• Standards Development 
• Public Relations
• Marketing 
• Regional Operations 
• Inspectorate and Compliance 
• Planning, Research, and Statistics 
• Finance and Accounts 
• Laboratory Services 
• Internal Audit 
• Management System Certifications 
• Legal/Council 

Each department has a director that oversees the operations of the department and reports back to the director general. Also, every region in the country has a designated director that manages the affairs of SON in the region.

In addition, the organization has committees to collaborate with departments to help achieve the overall tasks and responsibilities of the organization. 

The committees in the Standard of Organization include the following:

• Civil Committee 
• Services Committee
• Electrotechnical Committee 
• Trade Affairs Committee 
• Mechanical Committee
• Food and Agriculture Committee 
• Chemical Technology Committee 
• Standing Material Technical Committee 

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What are the roles and responsibilities of SON?

SON promotes and ensures that the products developed or imported into Nigeria are nothing short of the industrial standards. With the help of SON, the industries in Nigeria ensure to use of the correct materials and standard processes to develop their products.

Consequently, the lives of Nigerians are secured when they use those products and get the return of value for the money they used to purchase the product. Other roles and responsibilities of SON include: 

Standardization

The agency is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the processes used in developing products to ensure that every process is in line with the correct industry standards. Also, they ensure the standards employed are up to date and not completed with inadequate materials. 

Quality Assurance 

SON inspects imported and locally produced products in the field and conducts laboratory tests to ensure their quality. In a nutshell, they help check the quality of several products as part of their function which is quality control.

Consumer Protection

Consumer rights and obligations are explained to customers by SON, which also conducts investigations and takes enforcement action against dishonest companies that use deceptive tactics.

Accreditation

The agency accredits laboratories, inspection bodies, and other organizations involved in testing and certification activities to ensure that they meet international standards.

Metrology

The organization’s duties include encouraging the use of precise measurement and calibration techniques as well as preserving and distributing the national measuring standards.

Product Registration

SON is in charge of registering and controlling their importation and distribution to guarantee that some items fulfill the minimal requirements for safety, health, and the environment in Nigeria, 

SON Offices in Nigeria 

The head office of the SON office is located in Abuja and there are regional head offices across the six geo-political zones across Nigeria.in addition, every state of the country has SON offices for full operational and outreach of the agency.

Also, there are laboratory offices located in Lagos, Enugu, and Kaduna with the agency hoping to create more laboratories for standard testing. 

Click here to see the various offices, laboratories, and locations across the country. 

Final Notes on Standard Organization of Nigeria

Quality and secure industry standard processes lead to excellent goods. For customers, the value of high-quality items is crucial for their safety and ability to acquire the best. This justifies the need for careful monitoring of the manufacturing process.

The Nigerian government has a designated organization that oversees, develops, and formulates regulations about the standards of goods produced domestically and imported into the nation to accomplish this goal.

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