‘Infrastructure standards, others critical to Nigeria’s devt’

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) had maintained that infrastructure development remain critical to industrial growth, innovation, job creation and national development
Speaking in Abuja at a market sensitisation programme to mark World Standards Day at the weekend, the Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, stated that “standards have a critical role to play in ensuring that technologies, products and systems supporting this transition are safe, efficient, reliable, and fit for purpose.
“What this simply means is that without standards, we cannot get affordable and reliable infratructure and energy to drive growth. So as we mark the 2026 World Standards Day and participate in the work for standards, we are reminded that standards are not simply technical requirements contained in a document; they are instruments for building trust, protecting consumers, supporting businesses, facilitating trade, and strengthening national development.
“This year’s theme, ‘Shared Vision for a Better World, ‘ puts a spotlight on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Seven), which is affordable and clean energy, and speaks directly to one of the most important challenges and opportunities
“At the Standards Organization of Nigeria, we have continued to strengthen our contribution to these national objectives. SON has advanced infrastructure development and adoption of standards across critical sectors of the economy, including energy management, transportation, food safety, healthcare, and other social areas.
“We also have continued the development of standards supporting the Nigerian energy transition into the standards for compressed natural gas, this is the idea of the federal government (CNG) which we have the standards at SON”.
Okeke explained that “our commitment to the Nigerian energy transition is further demonstrated by the development and approval of standards for CNG. As a matter of fact, we approved 80 standards in 2024, covering areas including CNG conversion kits, electrical connections, vehicle diagnostics, roadworthiness, and vehicle safety.