…says consumers deserve safety, not deception

• Factories with uncertified products face shutdown -DG

Amid rising concerns over the influx of substandard products in Nigerian markets, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has launched a renewed crackdown, warning manufacturers that regulatory certification will now come with stricter, long-term monitoring.

The Director-General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, who sounded the warning in Ilorin, said the agency is doubling down on its enforcement mandate to sanitise the industrial space and protect Nigerian consumers from harmful and inferior goods.

Speaking during the presentation of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate to a lubricant manufacturer, Okeke said the certification was not a shield from further scrutiny but rather the beginning of deeper oversight.

Okeke, who was represented by the Kwara State Coordinator of SON, Mr Ayeni Feyisayo, stated: “We’re shifting gear in the fight against substandard goods. The fact that a product has been certified doesn’t exempt it from continuous monitoring. We’re going to be stricter than ever. Nigerian consumers deserve to trust what they buy.”

He described the development as part of a nationwide campaign to restore confidence in made-in-Nigeria products, noting that some producers, after obtaining certification, fall back into sharp practices.

“The era of certify-and-sleep is over. We’ll be knocking on factory doors unannounced, checking compliance, and revoking certificates where necessary,” he added.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs Dolapo Mariam Motunrayo, Head of the Chemical Technology Unit at SON’s Kwara office, warned manufacturers not to interpret certification as a finish line but a binding commitment to consistent quality.

She said: “You’ve been certified under MANCAP until 2028, but that means we now begin a new relationship of inspections and product testing. We expect to see improvements, not decline.”

She added that the regulator was determined to hold manufacturers to account, ensuring that every certified product remains safe and reliable for consumers throughout its market lifespan.