By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has spread its net to inculcate standardisation and quality in the youth and children.
Its Director-General, Mr Osita Anthony Aboloma said in line with the “World’s Standards Day” with the theme: “Standards Build Trust,” the agency was promoting awareness on standards among children and the youth as agents of change.
He spoke in his Lagos office when he hosted some children from schools in Lagos, who made presentations on standardisation and the need to ensure quality of products and services.
Mr Aboloma, who was represented by Mrs Cynthia Ifeagwu, said standards should guide Nigerians in businesses, schools and daily live, noting that if the rudiments of standards and quality are imbibed at a young age, children and youths could identify substandard goods.
He said: “Good habit if learnt at a young age, there is a possibility that a youngster will grow living his life insisting on quality and standard product and services through one’s life time. Children interface with different types of food and also are in a position to drive quality standards by engaging their parents to buy goods and services with SON standards mark of quality”.
In its presentation, Chrisland School, led by Miss Mmesoma Okonkwo, defined her understanding of what standards are and its role in economic growth. She also stated that compliance to standards could encourage sustainable economic growth.
Miss Oyindamola Samuel, from Agape Bundle School, said compliance to standards could make people entrust their lives to particular products. She said no product could claim to have quality and standards except it is approved by SON.
She encouraged the public to insist on products with SON quality mark, stressing that the mark of quality helps organisations create wealth, build trust and stand-out in the pack.
Mr Aboloma educated the students on the need to get their parents to patronise quality and safe products. This, he stressed, will safeguard them from the effects of unsafe products.
Mr Aboloma said his agency’s mandate was to educate the public on the dangers of substandard products in school, and to build a nation whose economy is sustainable.
He further stated that the mandate included safeguarding people’s lives and property from the impacts of substandard products through consumer education.
SON has recorded successes in several sectors of the economy through the SONCAP and MANCAP, which are mandatory regulatory programmes for imported and locally manufactured goods.
Adedapo Adesanya