SON Moves to Standardise Nigeria’ Oil and Gas Sector

Gilbert Ekugbe
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has announced plans to standardise the nation’s oil and gas sector in its bid to enhance products and services quality attainment in the sector beginning from 2022.

The Director General, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, gave the indication in Abuja while inaugurating a Steering Committee to coordinate modalities for implementing the provisions of SON Act No 14 of 2015 as it relates to the nation’s oil and gas sector.

According to him, the organisation under his leadership is determined to ensure that every area of operation in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector is standardised to guarantee quality, safety and a sustainable environment in line with international best practices.

The SON Chief Executive disclosed that steps have been taken to develop greater human and material capability in the organisation to provide necessary technical support to the oil and gas sector in such areas as piping inspection certification, piping construction, storage tank inspection and certification, asset management standards

Other areas include quality management system requirements for the petrochemical, oil and naatural gas industry, basic offshore safety induction and emergency training amongst others.

While acknowledging global trend in reducing dependence on oil and gas, Salim posited that the industry will continue to be relevant for some time to come, stressing that effective regulation is therefore imperative for optimum value attainment.

He explained that “SON’s quality foray into the oil and gas industry is phased into short, medium and long term due to the strategic importance of the sector to Nigeria’s economy and the attendant need to establish, maintain and improve standards, assure accuracy of measurements as well as the safety and durability of products and services within the industry.”

The SON Director General tasked the Committee with the responsibility to enhance SON’s activities and strategic repositioning in the oil and gas industry to effectively regulate quality and promote international best practices.

The SON Chief Executive posited that the organisation is prepared to overcome challenges that may arise in the course of striving to improve standardisation and quality assurance in the Oil and Gas Sector.

He expressed his confidence in the competence of the Committee members to deliver on the assignment given their wealth of knowledge and experience.