By Nkechi Eze
As part of sharing knowledge and best practices in Standardization and quality control, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) hosted a delegation from Bangladesh comprising representatives from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), Ministry of Industry (MOI), Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Directorate of National Consumers Rights Protection (DNCRP), Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Nigeria, and GAIN Bangladesh at its Ogba Laboratory Complex in Lagos for an experience learning visit.
The Director General of SON, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, represented by the Director, Corporate Affairs Department, Mrs. Talatu Ethan, welcomed the delegation and described the visit as a milestone in strengthening international cooperation, mutual learning, and the shared commitment to food safety.
He outlined SON’s mandate of protecting citizens’ health and well-being through the enforcement of standards that regulate food production, distribution, and consumption, highlighting the agency’s progress in refining regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems.
The DG expressed SON’s eagerness to share expertise with Bangladesh’s food safety and fortification teams, aiming to contribute to global efforts that ensure high-quality, safe food.
He noted the visit would give delegates the chance to engage with SON’s Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) team, Food and Agriculture Group, and Laboratory experts. He explained DFQT+ as a tool that enhances the traceability and quality assurance of fortified foods, ensuring standards are met and vulnerable communities are served.
He encouraged open dialogue and exchange of ideas, emphasizing that collaboration and shared best practices would help combat micronutrient deficiencies more effectively.
The Director General of BSTI, Mr. S.M. Ferdous, thanked SON for the opportunity to engage in experience sharing, noting the visit would help improve food safety and fortification efforts in Bangladesh.
He highlighted the importance of learning about Nigeria’s regulatory systems, capacities, and challenges in the areas of food standards, safety, monitoring, surveillance, enforcement, and compliance.
The visit was facilitated by GAIN Nigeria, whose objectives include digitizing the food fortification process, supporting the development of a country-owned DFQT+ system for edible oil, building capacity of industry and government stakeholders, and strengthening the enabling environment for food fortification.
Delegates interacted with SON’s DFQT+ team, Lagos State Offices 1, 2 & 3, Food and Agriculture Group, Nutrition Unit, Laboratory experts, and the Corporate Affairs Media Team. They also toured SON’s state-of-the-art facilities including the Micronutrients Laboratory, Mycotoxin Laboratory, Heavy Metal Laboratory, and Explosive Package Laboratory.
The Bangladesh team will also visit the Analytical Quality Assurance and Control (AQAC) Laboratory in Sagamu, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Large Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Core Group, National Fortification Alliance, National Technical Advisory Group (NTAG) Meeting, WASIL, PEOPL, Standard Flour Mills, and GAIN Nigeria’s Country Management Team (CMT).
In closing, the Director, Codex, Nutrition and Tobacco Monitoring, Mr. Yunusa B. Mohammed, thanked the Bangladesh delegation and encouraged them to use the visit to exchange best practices and improve food safety efforts in their home country.
