The Aviacargo Committee set up by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, to streamline the export processes on Tuesday visited the office of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, in Ikeja, Lagos as one of the major stakeholders involved in the certification of goods, farm produce for export.
The Committee as part of the process to ensure that the export certication process are seamless, had already visited the offices of Nigeria Customs, Quarantine Services, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), a private Laboratory among others
Speaking during the visit, the Coordinator of Aviacargo Committee, organiser of the Chinet Aviacargo Conference and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Mr Ikechi Uko, lauded the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed for his commitment in repositioning Aviacargo business in the country and also making the visit to SON possible.
Uko explained that despite the fact that Nigeria is the number one producer of many products, most of her produce are rejected for export because of non certification.
Uko said today, Kenya is the number one exporting country in Africa while Nigeria that is supposed to be the number one is now number five because of non certification of the products coming from the country .
Uko said that to ensure that the products coming from the country is tested to meet specifications before export, the products must be certified , the process must be upgraded, and there must be credibility and believability in export process.
He said the federal government has spent huge amount of money to procure some of the equipment, that these equipment must be put into use to recover the huge amount spent on them.
Uko noted that the committee is working assiduously with all the stakeholders involved in the export value chain to create a Nigerian standard that will meet international standard and certification.
He said the committee is trying to effect the desired change within 12 months to take the country to number 1 in Africa.
In his welcome address, the Director General of SON, Malam Farouk Salim, who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Laboratory Services, Mr Richard Adewumi stated that SON is striving to improve life through standardisation.
Malam Salim stated that the organisation has kept on growing, establishing laboratories in Enugu for engineering, in Kaduna for textile, in Abuja, Sokoto among others.
While assuring the Aviacargo Committee of their support, the DG stated that their laboratories are internationally accredited.
He said SON is planning to work with aviation fuel, Jet A1 depot owners to sanitise the use of aviation fuel by doing moisture titrator to determine quantity of water in aviation fuel and lubricants.
Malam Salim said SON is capable of doing 24 hours test results for export products.
He blamed most exporters for being the reason their products are rejected abroad, stressing that they do not take time to find out the requirements of the country they are exporting their products to.
He explained that there is no conflict with the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in any way, because their roles and mandates are different as NAFDAC is mainly registration of food and drugs, while SON is for total certification of both food, drugs, electronics, building materials and every other products.
Also speaking, Engr. Timothy Abner, SON Director of Training Services, stated that the agency conducts their test at minimal cost.
He said SON tries to reduce its cost to the bearest minimum because they enjoy government support.
He commended the managing director of FAAN, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed for being instrumental to the type of equipment in SON today.
He said the SON test result and certification are generally accepted globally.
Abner stated further that the collarborations with FAAN Aviacargo will go a long way especially as the country go into the The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) .
In his remarks, the managing director of FAAN, Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed lauded the management of SON in helping to improve standard and certification of products in the country.
Mr. Kabir Mohammed stated that working in SON in the past helped to broaden his horizon.
He acknowledged that most of the equipment in SON today were installed and put into use while he was at the agency.
He assured the Aviacargo Committee of his total support in achieving their mandates.
During the visit, the delegation took out time to visit the various departments and equipment installed to ensure standardisation, Laboratories like Lamp testing lab, Cable testing lab, information technology lab among others.
At the different Laboratories, the personnel in charge took out time to explain how the different equipment works and the acceptability of such products used for example in checking the strength of pelving blocks, to ensure they are very suitable for road construction, different levels of alcoholic test among others.
The delegation were told that the country can export cables now, as Nigeria cables are rated among the best in the world.
