By Franklin Alli

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has commenced moves to stop testing of imported products at laboratories in Ghana and South Africa. This will take effect from 2013.

Accordingly, the Agency has started building a four- storey, 15 Laboratory-structure at the Ogba area of Lagos.

SON Director General, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, disclosed that the facility would house 15 standard laboratories comprising testing rooms, training rooms with different administrative functions; a research faculty for research organisations; conference rooms and support staff facilities.

He recalled unpalatable instances when the agency had to take the samples of imported goods to Ghana, and South Africa for testing; this, he said would stop when the ongoing project is completed.

The Director General said that the fact that Nigeria has to be reckoned with when it comes to products standardisation globally inspired the project.

He also said that the SON laboratory building will elaborate standards and testing of imported goods, do our testing and also help other nations who do not have standards and quality laboratory to test theirs too.

The Laboratory, will also serve as a resource centre for scholars and researchers as revenue–earning activity, which he said is one of the reasons behind its establishment.   Expressing his plans to expand the project further, the D-G, who will add another 15 laboratories, said it is not too much a task given that in terms of standardisation equipment, Nigeria is still far behind other countries of the world, like Egypt which has over 90 laboratories.

Earlier, the Architect, Mr. George Ufot, disclosed that the 18 months project which began 31st of March 2012 would be ready December 2013.