Abuja: The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has announced that the African Quality Mark (ARSO Dual Mark) certification is set to enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian products across the African continent.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, SON’s Director-General, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, highlighted this development during the presentation of the African Quality Mark certificates to Nigerian companies in the capital city. The certification aims to facilitate access for Nigerian products to markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Dr. Okeke emphasized that the certification demonstrates compliance with harmonized African standards, ensuring consumers and trading partners of product safety, quality, reliability, and performance. “The initiative aligns with SON’s mandate of standardization, quality assurance, certification, and consumer protection,” he stated. The certification provides a unified framework for production, conformity assessment, and market acceptance, reducing technical barriers and multiple certification requirements.
Speaking at the event, Aliyu Sheriff, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Export Expansion, stressed the critical role of quality standards and certification in boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global markets. Sheriff highlighted that strong standards underpin consumer confidence and export success, crucial for developing Nigeria’s halal economy, which relies on robust certification systems.
Former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, emphasized quality as a vital component for national development, urging a focus on improving quality across all sectors. Meanwhile, Dr. Jani Ibrahim, President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), called the dual certification initiative a landmark achievement for promoting African-made products, describing it as a “passport of trust” for wider product acceptance.
Additional comments from Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, underscored the centrality of quality to the ministry’s food security agenda. He stated that certification of agricultural products under the dual quality mark would strengthen consumer confidence and support Nigeria’s agricultural value chains.
Stakeholders have commended SON and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) for promoting harmonized standards, urging Nigerian manufacturers to embrace standards compliance as a means to enhance export growth and participate actively in regional trade under AfCFTA.