By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has presented the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP), certificates for 23 products, across nine companies.
Speaking on the sidelines of the presentation of MANCAP certificates on Monday in Ilorin, the Director-General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, stated that 15 products were certified while eight were revalidated.
Okeke who was represented by the Kwara Coordinator of SON, Engr. Abdulrazaq Oyewopo, explained that the MANCAP certification is cornerstone of the organisation’s efforts to uphold the highest standards in product manufacturing in the country.
He explained that SON normally inspects companies for standards and quality, and that after two consecutive inspection, quality assessment are made.
According to him, the documents of the companies which have achieved the minimum requirement of standards, are sent to SON’s MANCAP office for compilation and award of presentation.
Okeke described MANCAP as a mandatory product certification scheme established by SON to ensure that all locally manufactured products conform to relevant Nigerian industrial standards before being presented for sale or export.
“Some of the companies have up to three, four or more. Each product has its own requirements. So depending on the requirements, each company product must meet the requirements of the standards before the certification,” he said.
Similarly, the D-G noted that the organisation is striving hard to ensure that goods finding their ways into Nigeria are inspected for standards.
He however lamented that that the nations Ports needed more monitoring to ensure every content is effectively monitored to prevent influx of substandard goods.
Okeke also advised against packaging food items with used plastic bottle picked by scavengers, warning that it poses health hazards.
He explained that used plastic bottles are meant for recycling, and not for repackaging edible foods.
Also speaking on merit of MANCAP, the Assistant Chief Technical Officer of SON, Mrs Ibukunolu Alasan, said the MANCAP certification gives consumer confidence in the product.
She explained that it signifies that products have been tested and approved, adding that this can ensure product goes beyond the shores of Nigeria to foreign countries for sale.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the firms that were awarded MANCAP certification includes Jossy Foam Nig. LTD, Tascon Plastic Industria LTD, Kam Steel Integrated Company LTD, El-Salmat Pharmaceutical company and Danjuma Bread among others.
