Adequate power supply for industrial operations, and favourable cost of production have been identified as factors that will help to achieve standard in locally made products.
The Head, Department of Civil Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Associate Professor Celestine Ezeagu, stated this in his paper title “The role of standards in nation industrialization”, delivered at one-day stakeholders’ interactive forum organised by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
The forum, which drew participants from the private sector and the media, offered opportunity to discuss challenges being faced in building confidence and value in locally made and products being imported into the country, and ended with a call on relevant stakeholders to join efforts with SON towards achieving cooperation of all manufacturers, consumers, service providers and government at all levels in desired result.
Associate Professor Ezeagu, an Engineer, who noted that factors of production, such as land, labour and material in an unfavorable environment like Nigeria, give rise to substandard products, said the position of a country on industrialization is as important as standard is in industrialization, regretting that available records show that Nigeria is not among list of ten industrialized nations.
Contributing, the National Vice President, Nigeria Association of Chamber of Commerce, President, Southeast Chamber of Commerce, and Managing Director of Ngobros and Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Humphrey Ngonadi, who explained that despite unfavorable economic environment and challenge of importing substandard products, eighty percent of Nigerian manufacturers still produce quality products, expressed concern that some buyers prefer cheaper and substandard products instead.
He commended SON for efforts towards addressing influx of substandard products in Nigeria, calling for its sustenance.
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