Compliance to standards will make Nigerian products globally competitive – SON – Newstrends
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Compliance to standards will make Nigerian products globally competitive – SON

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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said locally produced goods must adhere strictly to standards to be competitive globally.

The Director General of SON, Malam Farouk Salim, stated this at the flagging off of a campaign tagged “Standardisation; Panacea for economic growth” in Enugu. (When?).

The SON boss said that adhering strictly to standardisation and quality assurance would make Nigerian products and services more acceptable at the international market.

Salim, represented by the SON Director South-East Operations, Mr Fred Akingbesote, said when all products and services conformed to standards, the country and her people would benefit tremendously from it.

He explained that there was standard for every product or service, adding that upholding standardisation even in service industry of hospitality, tourism and hotel would create international markets and patronage for such services.

The SON boss said standardisation would also lead to cost reduction, less effort on production, strengthen brands and make it convenient and easy for customers to recognise and pick quality products and services.

“If you see any product with SONCAP certification logo, rest assured that you have got a product with quality and satisfaction guaranteed.

“It provides a company with a competitive edge in the market. “Manufacturers and service providers need to ensure that their products and services meet the right specifications and deliver on their customers’ expectations.

“When a company assesses its products and services in accordance with relevant standards, this helps the company to adapt to the latest market trends regarding quality.

“And avoid the costs related to product returns, buyer complaints, and loss of goodwill in local, regional, and international markets,” the SON DG said.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the SON DG, Chief Duru Emeka, who doubles as coordinator of the sensitisation, said it was part of the agency efforts to take culture of standardisation to the grassroots.

“Once the people in rural areas imbibed standardisation as a way of life, the fight against influx of substandard products is almost won.

“We need collaborative efforts to tackle the menace,” he said.

Duru said that Nigerian products were produced in line with international best practices and enjoy global competitiveness in line with the organisation’s quality infrastructure strategy under the able leadership of Mallam Farouk Salim.

“This will reduce the rejection of some of our products at export market, increase industrialisation and wealth creation,” Duru said

Duru subsequently urged the participants to consider the sensitisation workshop as an opportunity to broaden their scope saying, Enugu is the first to benefit from this particular sensitisation series.

He charged stakeholders to remain committed and focused on ensuring standardisation at all times.

The stakeholders in the manufacturing, consumption, service and allied businesses commended SON for the workshop.

The stakeholders also urged the organisation to extend its services to the grassroots.

They were of the view that once the message of standardisation is achieved even at the local communities, it would in turn have a positive socio-economic effect on the country in general.

Permanent Secretary, Enugu State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr Godwin Anigbo, urged SON to extend its services to the grassroots by creating more awareness on standardisation of products and services.

“We need robust engagement with the people at the grassroots in the local areas to enable them know how they can attain and maintain internationally acceptable standard for any endeavour they engage in.

“Once majority of our local people start doing the right things and getting it right; our products and services will be the best internationally and the country will be better for it,” Anigbo said.

Mr Felix Odoh, Deputy Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Enugu State, said that SON could leverage the spread of NOA officials scattered in the 774 council areas to reach Nigerians even in their localities.

 

“This sensitisation and enlightenment should go beyond here and get more Nigerians, especially the people at the grassroots to know the standard for all they produce at their localities,” Odoh said.

A consumer, Mrs Vivian Offor, said that the sensitisation would make more meaning if those at the local areas, whose extract raw materials add value to them could achieve quality standardisation.

“Something as simple as palm oil should be produced to standard with good packing to ensure better value and more gain for the ordinary Nigerians that engage in such endeavours,” Offor said.

Managing Director of Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, had earlier lauded SON for its consistence on its engagement of Nigerians to do the right thing and reposition the country’s economy.

“The issue of standardisation is important and it will be helpful to everybody and we must key into it.

”This is the only way to ensure we grow our economy and ensure conformity of our products and services,” Ogbu-Nwobodo said.

An Enugu-based manufacturer, Sir Eric Chime, noted that manufacturers and SON were both partners in progress, adding that SON had continued to ensure Nigerian products met international standard and acceptability.

“Apart from meeting international conformity and acceptability, standardisation also help the consumer not to be short-changed and quality guaranteed at all time.

“Standardisation also leads to better profit and international market opening for the manufactured products,” said Chime, who is the Chief Executive Officer of RICO Group of Companies manufacturers of petro-chemical products, said.

Mrs Ijeoma Ezeazor, representative of the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ahmed Mansur and Chairman, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States of MAN, made a presentation on “Expanding Products Market Share via Standards”.

She urged the Federal Government to support in the fight against substandard products.

She noted that the menace was detrimental to the government efforts to industrial growth.

“ Our products can’t compete favorably with the low cheap products from some countries.

“We are in partnership with SON to address the problem,” she said.

Other SON officials also made presentations on MANCAP and Certification; SONCAP and Registration as well as Import and Export Requirements and “Driving Industrialisation with Quality Products”.

The sensitisation also witnessed question and answer sessions as well as goodwill messages from the Nigeria Immigration Service; National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps among others.

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Petrol price rises to N935 in Lagos

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Petrol price rises to N935 in Lagos

Petrol marketers across the Lagos metropolis at the weekend raised the pump price of the commodity to between N925 per litre and N935 per litre.

This is in response to the increase in the landing cost of petrol, the stoppage by Dangote Refinery of the sales of the commodity in naira about two weeks ago and the delay in conclusion of negotiation on the naira for crude policy.

Last Monday, the landing cost of the commodity rose to N843.28 per litre from a previous N797 per litre a forthnight ago.

This increase represents an addition of N46 per litre to the landing cost of petrol.

Some filling stations like TotalEnergies sold at N935 per litre; MRS, N925.

According to the major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) latest report in its Bulletin, the increase in the landing cost of petrol is a result of the rise in international petroleum pricing in the past two weeks due to the transition from winter to summer specification gasoline (petrol) in Europe, which typically comes at a premium. MEMAN explained that supply constraints have emerged as arbitrage flows into Europe remain unprofitable, and Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub stocks have dropped to a 12-week low.
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ARA is a crucial global oil and biofuel hub known for its physical infrastructure, pricing benchmarks, and significant oil consumption.

It added that seasonal refinery maintenance across Europe and a recent fire at the Falconara refinery in Italy have further restricted supply, adding to market tightness and price volatility.

The Association said the foreign exchange rate remained fairly stable, with minimal fluctuations observed over recent periods.

Therefore, the landing cost of petrol, being fundamentally influenced by these elements, is likely to change several times intra-day.

It advised that savings can be achieved through negotiations, access to foreign exchange, and logistics efficiencies, for example, by eliminating Ship to ship (STS) transfer where possible or receiving larger cargos.

MEMAN explained that the landing cost into Apapa/ASPM Jetty is calculated based on the following assumptions: exchange rate, finance charges at 32 per cent per annum for 30 days; STS and related charges; NIMASA charges at two per cent of local STS; NMDPRA at 0.5 per cent MDGIF; NPA and VAT charges covering towage, berthage/mooring, ship dues, cargo dues, contingency, fire coverage, agency fee; other costs at N2 per litre.

 

Petrol price rises to N935 in Lagos

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Dangote Refinery: MRS, other filling stations increase petrol price

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Dangote Refinery: MRS, other filling stations increase petrol price

The price of petrol has surged to N930 per litre in Lagos and N960 in northern states, following the recent suspension of naira payments for crude oil by the Dangote refinery.

MRS filling stations implemented the new pricing structure on March 28, 2025, marking a N70 increase from the previous rate of N860 in Lagos and N80 higher than the former N880 in the North.

Other fuel retailers have also adjusted their prices, with NIPCO reportedly selling at N930 per litre in Magboro, Ogun State, on Saturday.

According to MRS Oil & Gas, trucks will load products from its Lagos depot and distribute them across the country at varying costs.

The company’s latest pricing document confirms that Lagos has the lowest fuel rate, while northern states face the highest prices. However, the company did not specify whether it sourced its supply from the Dangote refinery.

Under the revised price framework, petrol now costs N930 per litre in Lagos, N940 in other South-West states, and N960 in the South-South and South-East regions, including Edo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross River, and Enugu.

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In the North, Abuja, Kaduna, Benue, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Nasarawa will pay N950 per litre, while Zamfara, Kano, Jos, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, and Yobe will pay N960.

The Free Carrier Agreement (FCA) price, which determines how much marketers pay before reselling fuel, also differs by region. Lagos has the lowest FCA price at N905 per litre, whereas states like Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, and Yobe have FCA prices around N888 per litre.

The recent suspension of the naira-for-crude initiative by the Dangote refinery was attributed to discrepancies in crude oil allocation. Sources indicate that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) allocated large volumes of crude to foreign creditors to settle outstanding loans, making it difficult to sustain local transactions in naira.

As a result, independent fuel importers have taken advantage of the situation, increasing depot prices. Industry analysts warn that the rising petrol costs could drive up transportation fares and the prices of goods and services.

Experts suggest that prices may stabilize once the Dangote refinery secures a reliable crude oil supply from NNPCL and resumes selling in naira. Until then, consumers across the country will have to contend with higher fuel costs.

Dangote Refinery: MRS, other filling stations increase petrol price

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Lanre Shittu Motors to endow Automobile Department of Lagos Technical College 

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LSM team presenting cheques to winners of competitions held at the Engineering Week of Lagos Technical College, Aso-Soba, Festac... recently

Lanre Shittu Motors to endow Automobile Department of Lagos Technical College 

Lanre Shittu Motors has announced a novel idea that will boost automobile studies in a Lagos technical college.

Specifically, it has pledged to adopt the Automobiles Department of the Government Technical College, Aso-Soba in the Festac area of Lagos.

This is intended to raise academic and practical programme standards of the school.

The company said this would involve adequate funding, in-school training and intensive industrial training (IT) with welfare package to encourage more young people to pursue academic career in automotive engineering.

Business Support/Admin Manager of LSM, Mr Babatunde Adenuga, disclosed this in Lagos, in an interview with journalists.

Adenuga represented the LSM Managing Director, Mr Taiwo Shittu, at the just concluded Engineering Week of the college sponsored by the auto company, where he unveiled the plan to the staff and students at the event’s grand finale.

Aside from the needed financial support to make the auto department functional and standard, he said LSM would provide the tools, overall wears/workshop uniform, among others, as part of the welfare package for the students.

He said it would be a win-win situation for the school and the company.

Adenuga said, “The school will benefit immensely from the LSM package for the department as we take the financial trouble of running the department away from them.

“Students from the department can come for their internship at LSM workshops, and getting jobs after school won’t be difficult.

“For us, it will be a seamless arrangement in getting suitable personnel familiar with our training and business orientation.”

He also said the LSM had been absorbing students from the school and others for their industrial training (IT), providing them with useful hands-on training and monthly stipend to keep them going.

The LSM MD, Taiwo Shittu, commenting on the support, said, “We’ll be part of the progress of the school. We want to own a department in the technical college, the automobile department of studies that will enable us to fund the place; take care of the welfare of students, providing the tools, overall uniform and other facilities.”

“At LSM, we see training the youths as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. Every year, we take in youths into our facility and train them; even while in training, we give them stipends.”

The highpoint of the LSM-sponsored Government Technical College event was the presentation of prizes to outstanding students in the various competitions held for the Engineering Week.

Three of the students whose projects stood out such as locally produced water pumping machine and water heater went home with impressive cash awards.

Principal of the college, Mr Folarin Sunkanmi, expressed appreciation to LSM for the interest in the school, starting with giving the students the opportunity for industrial training and offering them monthly stipend.

The principal commended the LSM efforts of sponsoring the engineering week’s activities, whose theme was given as ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development (Innovators of tomorrow)’

He urged other companies to emulate the LSM example in order to boost the employability chances of products of the technical colleges and engineering departments of higher institutions in the country.

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