February 16, 2018

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) says it is set to boost food production in the country with the introduction of standards for grinding plate, grinding machine and other machinery.

Mr Osita Aboloma, Director-General, SON, said this at the opening of a technical committee meeting in Lagos to elaborate standards for the machinery.

A statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday said the machinery would process agricultural products by transforming raw food into marketable or consumable food products for end users.

Aboloma, who was represented by Mrs Chinyere Egwuonwu, Acting Director, Standards Development, SON, said the organisation hoped to set standards for agricultural food processing equipment to ensure uniformity in specifications.

Aboloma added that the machinery would also optimise end products in support of the government’s economic diversification programme.

“The development and promotion of these standards will assure the quality of equipment, service parts and their outputs.

“It will also add greater impetus to the agricultural sector’s contribution to food safety in Nigeria, while also enhancing its foreign exchange earning capacity,” he said.

Aboloma said standardisation had become essential for business and growth, as it encouraged and supported micro, small and medium enterprises and large industries in a developing economy.

“When concluded, approved and published, the standards for agricultural machinery and equipment will ensure that agricultural processes and products conform to standards.

“It will also ensure quality requirements to meet the needs of the end users, guarantee value for money for consumers and profits for businesses,” he said.

Aboloma advised members of the Technical Committee to see the assignment as a call to national duty and use their wealth of experience and expertise from the various sectors to publish standards on the products.

Mr Ose Ochoga, from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and Chairman of the Committee, promised to apply the basic rules in standards elaboration.

Ochoga urged the members to be professional, firm but flexible during deliberations, to achieve consensus on the standards that would make their products acceptable world-wide.