SON Installs Products Quality Testing Equipment In Bauchi

By Ahmed Ahmed

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has installed products quality testing equipment at the Bauchi Zonal laboratory complex to boost testing capacity of products in the North.

The Director Laboratory Services of the SON Dr Barth Okoko disclosed this during the installation of the equipment, demonstration and training of Staff on Tuesday in Bauchi.

He said the equipment would be used for testing a product that can be certified and confirmed to be of quality.

Dr. Okoko explained that the installation of the equipment is the first in the North since inception and most of the agricultural products are from the North.

“Over years there was none of this nature that can test products that are perishable and so easily get damaged on transportation and make testing difficult.

“lack of testing has caused a lot of losses mainly to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs ) that often get their project rejected to meet acceptable standard,” He said 

According to him, laboratories are said to be bedrock of any establishment that is quality conscious because it is through testing that a product can be confirmed to be of quality or not.

“The DG Malam Farouk Salim take “the bull by Horns” to boost the testing capacity of SON Laboratories by procuring modern equipment and bringing activity close to people,” he said.

Okoko pointed out that SON is not only boosting testing capacity but will ensure that a number of laboratories undergo accreditation to be confirmed with International standard.

He emphasises that certification of products with the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) mark qualified quality requirements of a product.

The Director Laboratory Services, however urged stakeholders, particularly farmers, to take advantage of bringing their products for tests.

Earlier, The Regional Coordinator of the Organisation Alhaji Adamu Abba said the Laboratory and the equipment would serve the North East Zone and the entire North.

He said initially products are sent to Lagos for testing and that affect certification of products in the North, adding that with the equipment products would be easily certified for circulation in the market.

He commended the DG SON for the initiative by citing the Laboratory in the north east zone.

Abba said the Organisation would ensure products are certified before going to market and also encourage MSMEs to improve their products through a testing process.