SON Takes Standards Enlightenment to Schools

Crusoe Osagie

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has said that its decision to take the message of standardisation to schools is to inculcate in Nigerian children, the ideals of standardisation early in life.

The Director-General of the SON, Mr. Osita Aboloma, who made this assertion in Lagos, added that if a child learns good behaviour early in life, it would be difficult for the child to forget.
Aboloma, who was represented at the event by Mrs. Cynthia Ifeagwu, Director of Marketing said children as integral part of society should have knowledge of standardisation in that their own lives are affected by it.

He said standards has many advantages, including saving lives, saving resources and also help in instilling order in any society.

According to him, “Children of today will become the adults of tomorrow. We all know that good behaviour, good attitudes and god habits learnt when we are young becomes part of our character when we are growing into adulthood. That is why we are starting the programme of engaging youths”, he said.

According to Aboloma, the SON believes that this is the right time for the young ones to begin to lean about standards so that they would relate with the situation when they grow up.
He underscores the importance of standardisation in the lives of people and the economic well-being of the nation.

According to him, Quality goods and services are better and safer to use and give better value for money, while standards help to instil order in any society.

A major highlight of the progamme was the invitation of three schools from the Lagos area, to come and listen to the DG’s directive and also to make presentations.

The schools were Agape Bundles Montessori School, Ojodu; Careland children School Ajao Estate and Chrisland School in Victoria Garden City.

Each of the schools made presentations, extolling the virtues of standardisation and also commending the SON for its job of sanitising the Nigerian economy of substandard products.
The Head of Consumer Feedback Collaboration, Mosunmola Samuel reiterated the belief that if you could teach a child, you have touched a nation.

According to her, the SON intends to reach out to all the tiers of education but just decided to start with the private schools in Lagos as starting point.

He said two months earlier, the team was in Abuja the FCT for the same purpose, promising to ensure that more Lagos neighbourhood would experience a programme of that nature.

Many of the students spoken to were excited, and thanked the SON for making possible the progamme. They advised that governments at different levels look into the matter.
In a related development, the Plateau office of the SON has taking the campaign message to schools, centred on the dangers of substandard products.

According to the State Coordinator of the agency, Mr. Musa George, the SON chose to start with pupils in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning to equip them with the knowledge to identify sub-standard products

He said the idea was to acquaint the students with what it takes to enable them understand and appreciate the detriments of purchasing and consuming substandard products.
He said thus far, the SON has held sensitisation campaigns in 16 secondary schools and the Bokkos University in the area.

“The main mandate of the SON is to ensure all manufactured products complied with the standards prior to introduction into the market; we shall continue to purse that mandate aggressively,” he said.