By Abba – Eku Onyeka, Abuja
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has expressed its commitment to the effective deployment of information and communication technology towards becoming a high performing agency.
In a press release from the organization, this was one of the outcomes of the organisation’s strategic management retreat held in Calabar, Cross Rivers State last week at which the agency committed to giving automation of its services high priority. In a communique issued at the end of the retreat, the Director General (DG), SON, Mallam Farouk Salim stated that the organisation has also developed its strategic plan for 2021 to 2024 to guide its programmes and actions geared towards achieving its set goals and targets. The Agency according to the Communique would consider the adoption of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System to fully automate and integrate its operations nationwide in order to achieve more effective and efficient service delivery.
Mallam Salim stated that SON would institute an efficient, open, transparent and effective performance measuring mechanism, as well as a reward and sanctions programme to ensure accountability and consequence management, stressing that a staff recognition and reward programme will be put in place before the end of 2021. SON he said, will strengthen its supervisory role over its stakeholders, to ensure that all its certified products deliver value for money to Consumers while also tracking manufacturers and importers that use fake SON certification marks as well as logo for prosecution.
On enforcement of standards, the SON Chief Executive stated that the agency has resolved to adopt additional approaches including data analytics, risk-based assessment, outcome-focused regulation, collaborative, coordinated and proactive enforcement among others. Maallam Salim expressed SON’s commitment to the effective implementation of the National Quality Policy recently approved by the Federal Executive Council as well as the Nigerian National Standardization Strategy to provide adequate support for economic development.
Other strategic decisions according to the communique include:
Having a 21st century work environment that is conducive and digital enabling, geared at maximizing the potentials of the employees towards achieving the goals and strategic objectives of the Agency and its staff; attachment of SON staff to established National Metrology Institutes and testing laboratories outside the country for further exposure; consideration of retired staff of the organization as SON Ambassadors and; maintenance of established procedure for the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme for locally manufactured products.
The communique concluded that the implementation of the retreat report and the resolutions would be tracked and reviewed at the Quarterly Management Performance Review Sessions that will hold within one month of the end of each quarter, as well as at the next Strategic Leadership Retreat.
Facilitators at the strategic Leadership Retreat included, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, former Director General, NIMASA, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, former Director General, SON, Barr. Osuagwu Uwanuakwa, a retired Permanent Secretary and Dr. Eric Ighalo, a renowned trainer.