Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Osogbo – The Director-General/Chief Executive, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, Faruok Salim, has disclosed that Nigeria’s agro-allied products are sellable across the world, insisting that the body would not compromise its standards.

He said the organisation, in a bid to support the economy diversification agenda of the present administration would intensify efforts to sensitise producers of agro-allied products across the country on strict compliance with SON standards.

Represented by the Director Southwest, Talatu Ethan, at a workshop titled, Standard Adherence: Catalyst for Trade held in Osogbo on Thursday, he said the organisation is at the fore of driving diversification into agricultural products as a means of generating revenue.

“Nigeria’s products are having global acceptance, the Federal Government and regulatory bodies are working with stakeholders to ensure that whatever they produce can meet up with the specifications of the foreign countries.

“The objective of this workshop is to create awareness on the importance of standards to ensure that the manufacturers, producers and processors meet up with the minimum requirements of the standards, we have standards for Garri, honey, dry and smoked fish etc. and looking at the focus of the current administration which is food security, the role of SON is to train, educate and create awareness among the agro-allied sector on quality production.

“Mandatory conformity assessment, will prepare our local producer to produce products that meet up with the minimum requirement of the standards so that the product would be able to compete with foreign products and any of the manufacturers that deviate from it are sanctioned, our duty is to encourage and support them for production of quality and safe products.

Chairman, of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Osun state chapter, Sulaiman Araokanmi described the workshop as timely in a bid to empower agro-allied producers across the country.