In-depth coverage of regulatory news, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) updates, media industry insight, and the campaigns shaping Nigerian brands.
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria says the African Quality Mark (ARSO Dual Mark) certification will boost the competitiveness of Nigerian products across the continent and ease access to markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area. SON's Director-General, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, presented the first batch of African Quality Mark certificates to Nigerian companies in Abuja, describing it as proof of compliance with harmonised African standards that reassures both consumers and trading partners on safety and quality.
Read Full Story →SON has partnered with the National Automotive Design and Development Council to roll out the Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme, a new framework aimed at stopping substandard vehicle imports, improving road safety, and tightening compliance across Nigeria's automotive sector.
At a two-day SON–LSFF food inspection workshop in Abuja, Director-General Ifeanyi Okeke said the agency is pushing small and medium enterprises to ensure flour, sugar, salt, edible oil, margarine, and semolina meet national fortification standards, with bouillon and rice set to be added to the mandate soon.
SON says the African Quality Mark certification framework is central to reducing trade barriers under the African Continental Free Trade Area, as the continent pushes to harmonise standards and support freer movement of goods and services.
SON convened a National Technical Committee meeting to review the draft Nigerian Standards on Environmental Sound Management of Chemicals, with the session focused on strengthening chemical safety, environmental governance, and sustainable industrial development.
SON has certified 13 aluminium brands in Owerri, Imo State, after the manufacturers met the minimum quality requirements set out under the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme for industrial standards.
SON's Director-General, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, joined senior federal officials at the Presidential Villa to discuss the implementation of the National Single Window Project, a trade facilitation initiative whose first phase launched in late March 2026.
SON's Ogba Laboratory in Lagos teamed up with the University of Ilorin to generate scientific data on lead content in decorative paints sold across Nigeria, operationalising a joint MoU aimed at protecting public health, especially among children.
SON officials stressed that metrology — calibration, testing, and inspection — remains core to its mandate, linking accurate measurement to the Federal Government's "Nigeria First" policy and the need for local products to meet internationally accepted standards.
SON is working with ECOWAS and GIZ to strengthen regional food safety systems aimed at combating aflatoxin contamination, part of a broader push to align Nigerian food safety standards with regional frameworks across West Africa.
A closer, story-by-story look at how the Standards Organisation of Nigeria's enforcement push is reshaping manufacturing, importation, and retail across the country — as reported by the Potter Media editorial desk.
At a ceremony in Abuja, SON Director-General Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke presented the first batch of African Quality Mark (ARSO Dual Mark) certificates to Nigerian companies. He said the certification demonstrates compliance with harmonised African standards and will help Nigerian products move more freely under the African Continental Free Trade Area, giving both regional consumers and trading partners confidence in product safety and quality.
Read on Gazette NGR →SON and the National Automotive Design and Development Council officially rolled out the Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme. The framework is designed to curb the influx of substandard imported vehicles, strengthen road safety enforcement, and bring greater compliance to Nigeria's growing automotive import sector.
Read on Leadership →At a SON–LSFF inspection workshop in Abuja, Director-General Ifeanyi Okeke confirmed renewed enforcement of mandatory food fortification standards, with small and medium enterprises now a primary focus. Flour, sugar, salt, edible oil, margarine, and semolina producers must meet national fortification benchmarks, with bouillon and rice expected to join the mandated list soon as part of Nigeria's effort to tackle malnutrition.
Read on Vanguard →SON's Ogba Laboratory in Lagos partnered with the University of Ilorin under a formal Memorandum of Understanding to study lead content in decorative paints sold in Nigeria. The collaboration is generating scientifically rigorous data intended to safeguard public health — particularly for children, who are most vulnerable to lead exposure.
Read on SON's LinkedIn →All stories sourced from public reporting by News Agency of Nigeria, The Guardian Nigeria, Vanguard, Leadership, The Whistler, and SON's official channels. Potter Media editorial summaries — click through for original reporting.