The Nigerian Government has established the National Quality Council to enhance development, harmonisation and rationalisation of Nigeria’s quality infrastructure.
The establishment of the the council is part of measures put
in place by the government to tackle and mitigate the rejection of Nigeria’s export products in the
international market.
Chairman and Chief Executive of the Council, Osita Aboloma
who stated this in Abuja, explained that the various legs of the quality
infrastructure, namely standards development, metrology, conformity assessment
and accreditation require urgent harmonization and rationalization
He said the harmonization and rationalization will ensure
cost effectiveness and efficiency in support of the acceptance of Nigeria’s
export products around the world.
He stressed the need for greater synergy amongst
organizations and institutions in the public and private sectors, hosting the
National Quality Infrastructure as well as greater awareness creation for
operators along the export value chain.
According to him, the National Quality Council was created
to implement the letters and spirit of the approved Nigerian National Quality
Policy document which provides for
efficient and effective management of regulatory responsibilities to achieve
protection of society and the environment as well as transparent and reliable
state-regulatory systems, devoid of bureaucratic vagaries.
Others he said, include the provision of a supportive
National Quality Infrastructure which consists of Standards, Metrology,
Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Services that must be acceptable
globally to enhance the competitiveness of products and services made in
Nigeria.
Aboloma explained that Standards serve as benchmark for
products and service quality; metrology ensures accuracy of measurements in
industry for both equipment an.d products; accreditation assures mutual
recognition of competencies in Nigeria across borders while conformity
assessment entails inspection and testing of products to meet destination
requirements.
He disclosed that the Council is domiciled in the Presidency
under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to reduce
bureaucratic bottlenecks in the discharge of its mandate like similar bodies in
other parts of the world.
He also stressed the
need for greater synergy amongst organizations and institutions in the public
and private sectors, hosting the National Quality Infrastructure as well as
greater awareness creation for operators along the export value chain.
Aboloma stated that the NQC would promote industry access to
conformity assessment services that are affordable and acceptable globally so
that Nigerian made products can be marketed under the motto: “Tested once,
certified once, and accepted everywhere”.
He emphasized that the Council would work to ensure that all
Nigeria’s goods, services and persons’ certification comply with relevant
standards, technical regulations and applicable accredited conformity
assessment requirements of domestic, regional and international markets and yet
be competitive. These he said will affirm Nigeria’s leadership in the African
Continental trade and better position its huge market and its people to benefit
optimally.
The National Quality Council Chairman admonished Nigerian
Exporters to take optimum advantage of the existing quality infrastructure in
the country, to save the Nation scarce foreign exchange, increase the
efficiency of the export value chain and mitigate the rejection of Nigerian
made products across regional, continental and international borders.
Aboloma assured Stakeholders of the National Quality
Council’s preparedness to work seamlessly and in close collaboration with all
stakeholders in the public and private sectors to ensure rapid improvement in
the Nation’s quality infrastructure