FG to save N81bn from National Quality Policy implementation — NSC

 Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Joseph Odumodu

The National Steering Committee (NSC) for the Nigeria National Quality Policy has said the country could save about N81 billion over five years from implementing the policy from this year.

The Secretary of the committee, Dr Joesph Odumodu, said this while addressing newsmen at the second meeting of the NSC on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee is to fashion out a national quality policy to enhance the country’s reputation as provider of quality products and services in the global market.

We see a chance that over USD 500 million can be saved over a period of five years from implementing this policy this year.

So, that begins to give an idea of why we must have a national quality policy. It’s a policy that defines what we take as quality.

A lot of African countries have had even three versions of this document and we just realised that we didn’t have it.

Let me give you an example, if you want to export Cocoa today from Nigeria, you find out that Cocoa will not attract the same international price in the international market.

Because when the people buy it either in Europe or in America, they will say, we have to test your Cocoa further.

Cocoa has a challenge of heavy metal in it, and there is a limit. The standard allows almost five per cent of heavy metal.

“They now discount Cocoa from Nigeria with almost 10 per cent of its value. That is a huge loss for Nigeria; why is it so? Because Nigeria does not have an accreditation body.”

According to Odumodu, who is also the Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), a world class accreditation body domiciled in the country would prevent further tests of Nigeria products abroad.

He said that NSC would not deliver the final report to the Federal Government until inputs were gathered from the six zones of the country.

“NSC is to go on a roadshow in the six geo-political zones in order to turn out an inclusive report that would be acceptable to all Nigerians,’’ Odumodu said.

Declaring the meeting open, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, said the document had the potential of boosting the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The minister, represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Garba, President, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASMEs), said the guidelines would assist the country in promoting made-in-Nigeria goods.

“As the work of the National Steering Committee (NSC) continues, the importance of having a well-established National Quality Policy to support the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan becomes more glaring,’’ he said.
(Source - Daily Independent Nigeria)