A recap of the recently held one day sensitization event hosted by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Port Harcourt Nigeria.
Cotecna recently attended a one-day sensitization event hosted by SON for its stakeholders. The event held on 14 June 2022 was attended by Nigerian Customs, Immigration, NAFDAC, NDLEA, Freight forwarders, Clearing agents, Importers and Exporters. Representatives from IAFs (International Accreditation Firms) were also present, including Cotecna. Cotecna was represented by Lena Södergren, VOC VP and the Cotecna Nigeria management team.
The programme kicked off with an introduction and opening remarks from the SON Director General Mallam Farouk Salim who spoke about the vision, mission and core values of the organization. He also mentioned that the IAFs have been trimmed down to only four including Cotecna. The DG also informed the gathering that his organization ranked 1st in the Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria initiative introduced by the office of the Vice President of Nigeria.
After that, all guests shared goodwill messages and stated that they are ready to assist SON in meeting its customers’ needs.
Engr. Olalekan Omoniyi Assistant Director (PCD - SONCAP) introduced the four IAFs on behalf of Tersoo I. Orngudwem, the Director of the Product Certification Directorate. He then gave 10 minutes to each IAF to talk about their respective organizations and services. On behalf of Cotecna, Lena Södergren gave a short presentation and introduced her team based in the Port Harcourt City. Cotecna’s VOC VP also emphasized that Cotecna is readily available on the ground to assist attendees with all their SONCAP related issues.
The SON Port & Border Operation and the Inspectorate & Compliance Directorate (ICD) also gave presentations. Followed by the SON DG opening the floor for a question and answer session.
The SON DG gave the closing remarks, and the vote of thanks was given by the Rivers State Coordinator Mr. Ayuba.
Cotecna was very proud to attend this stakeholders' meeting. As a reminder, since 2013, Cotecna has been partnering with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in running the SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) to ensure that the quality and safety regulations of Nigeria imports are met. To find out how Cotecna can help you export to Nigeria, please contact us
About Cotecna
For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.