The Federal Government has commended the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) gets a nod from the Federal Government over renewed fight against fake and substandard products in the country.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo gave this commendation at the commissioning of SON’s office and laboratory complex in Ekiti State last weekend. The minister said that the new infrastructure marks another milestone in the country’s quest to build a new society free from substandard products being imported or manufactured locally.

Adebayo said, “The construction and equipping of this edifice has in fact become a priority as we gradually and systematically march towards independence and self-reliance from oil to non-oil export for economic growth and development.

“Let me emphasize that no serious producer will engage in manufacturing of any product without first checking for regulatory compliance standards, by ensuring his product pass through rigorous tweeting and quality control system to be provided in the laboratory in house in the company”.

Adebayo emphasized, adding that many Nigerian lives have been cut short as a result of substandard products.

Adebayo further assured Nigerians that SON will soon get rid of engine oil laced with sophisticated debris capable of destroying vehicle engines, fake LPG Cylinders, amongst others, from the society.

Meanwhile, the Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim stated that the commissioning of the Ekiti permanent office and lab is in line with the agency’s new found vigor in fighting fake and substandard products in the country.

Farouk expressed his delight over the official commissioning of the Office and Laboratory Complex in the state, promising that SON is now more determined than ever to fight the menace.

“I was confronted with a high level of infrastructural deficit which has limited the organisations operations. I also met ongoing office building projects all und the country which had been embarked upon by the organisation to address the situation.

“For me as the CEO, I am delighted to present a very strategic Federal Government project, a brand new purpose built office and laboratory complex to the Honourable Minister, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and the Royal Fathers for support in realizing the project, saying that it is for the benefit of the people of Ekiti State and Nigerians at large”, he said.

He promised that in the coming weeks and months, SON shall be commissioning new offices with laboratories and be going into strategic partnership with state governments to lay the foundation stones on landed properties across the nation.