By Nkechi Eze
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) have entered into a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening laboratory standards and eliminating quack practices within the country’s analytical services sector.
The collaboration was formalised during a high-level meeting held on 13 August 2025 in Lagos. Welcoming the IPAN delegation, the Director-General/Chief Executive of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, commended the institute for its commitment to professionalism and pledged the full support of SON in advancing shared objectives.
According to the two agencies, the renewed cooperation will focus on modernising a 2002 Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a joint technical working group to drive implementation, and coordinating preparations for the forthcoming National Summit on the Analytical Laboratory Sector slated for November 2025.
The partnership also seeks to professionalise laboratory operations across the country by ensuring that SON laboratory personnel are registered as public analysts and that only IPAN-accredited laboratories are recognised under the National Register for Conformity Assessment Practitioners (NRCAP). This will help eradicate quackery and reinforce transparency and quality in laboratory services nationwide.
Dr. Okeke emphasised that the revised MOU will be aligned with the provisions of the SON Act No. 14 of 2015, adding that the initiative underscores the agency’s broader commitment to maintaining high standards and building public confidence in Nigeria’s laboratory ecosystem. He urged laboratories registered with IPAN to also enlist in the NRCAP in order to ensure a unified national framework for accreditation and quality control.
Both agencies expressed optimism that the renewed partnership would position Nigeria’s laboratory sector as a key driver of public health, industrial development and economic growth through improved reliability and adherence to global best practices.
