By Nkechi Eze
In a strong demonstration of its role as a key enabler of Nigeria’s industrial and economic transformation, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to accelerating national development through standardization, regulatory efficiency, and digital innovation at the Domestic Investors Summit 2025, held in Abuja on Monday, July 21, 2025.
The summit, themed “Operationalizing the Nigeria First Policy,” brought together high-level stakeholders from government, industry, and the private sector to deliberate on homegrown strategies for deepening domestic investment, expanding industrial capacity, and boosting the global competitiveness of Nigerian-made products. The event aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ambitious economic agenda, which envisions a $1 trillion economy by the year 2030.
Representing the Director General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, at the summit was the Head of Conformity Assessment, Mrs. Chidinma Ewuzie, who delivered a comprehensive presentation detailing SON’s transformative reforms aimed at fostering a quality-first culture and ensuring Nigerian products can compete favourably in international markets.
Mrs. Ewuzie emphasized that SON has undergone a strategic overhaul to enhance service delivery, reduce regulatory bottlenecks, and support Nigerian manufacturers in meeting global benchmarks. She revealed that as part of these sweeping reforms, the organisation has significantly reduced the time required to adopt international standards from six months to just sixty days, a milestone that underscores SON’s renewed agility in meeting industry needs.
“In today’s competitive global marketplace, time is a critical factor. By slashing the adoption window for international standards to sixty days, we are signaling to investors, manufacturers, and exporters that Nigeria is open for quality-driven business,” Ewuzie declared. “Our focus is to bridge the gap between local innovation and global compliance frameworks.”
She further outlined SON’s investment in expanding its network of accredited laboratories across the country, providing local industries with easier access to quality testing services. In addition, she announced the rollout of internationally recognized certifications such as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Organic Label, and Global Good Agricultural Practices (Global GAP), which are crucial to boosting consumer trust and expanding Nigeria’s footprint in premium global markets.
Mrs. Ewuzie also shared SON’s role and progress in the Regulatory Sandbox, a dynamic collaborative platform designed to test and refine innovative regulatory approaches in real time. Within this framework, SON has been actively addressing persistent issues such as documentation delays and overlapping compliance demands, particularly for small and medium-scale enterprises. She assured participants that the agency was committed to deepening interagency cooperation and strengthening its digital backbone to ease regulatory burdens.
As a core member of the National Single Window (NSW) Steering Committee, SON reiterated its support for this federal initiative aimed at harmonizing cross-border trade processes through a unified digital platform. According to Ewuzie, SON is working closely with other regulatory agencies to ensure that the NSW platform achieves its goal of reducing cargo clearance times to a single day by 2027, significantly improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“The success of the Nigeria First Policy hinges on how well we streamline our systems, cut down bureaucracy, and enhance collaboration. SON is not just on board, we are leading from the front,” Ewuzie added. “From laboratory testing to certifications, from digitalization to stakeholder engagement, we are aligning every aspect of our operations with the national growth agenda.”
The summit also served as an opportunity for SON to engage with local investors, entrepreneurs, and industrial stakeholders to explore synergies for standard development and compliance. Several participants lauded the agency’s proactive stance and reaffirmed their support for continuous collaboration toward achieving shared developmental goals.
With its re-energized strategy, SON is positioning itself not merely as a regulator but as a catalyst for industrial rebirth and economic competitiveness. The agency’s renewed commitment to efficiency, innovation, and partnership is seen as a crucial component in unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potential and delivering the kind of industrial revolution that would make the Nigeria First Policy not just a slogan but a reality.
As Nigeria pushes toward its $1 trillion GDP target by 2030, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria is ensuring that quality, standardization, and compliance remain at the heart of the journey.
