By Christian Njoku
CALABAR (NAN, CONVERSEER) – The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has moved to ensure quality compliance for products produced by investors in the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ).
This was the case when a team from SON commenced sensitisation of operators within the CFTZ on its new Special Economic Zone Conformity Assessment Programme (SEZCAP) aimed at ensuring product quality.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SEZCAP is an initiative of the SON designed to ensure that products manufactured within Nigeria’s Free Trade or Special Economic Zones meet the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS).
While SEZCAP caters for the FTZs, the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) cover locally manufactured and imported products, respectively.
Speaking during an interactive session with operators in CFTZ, the Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke explained that the SEZCAP was designed to address the unique operational nature of the FTZs.
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Okeke, who was represented by Mr Akinware Ayodele, Deputy Director MANCAP, explained that the FTZs, which functioned as “a country within a country,” required a distinct certification mechanism.
Commending investors in the zone that are certified and those in the process of SEZCAP certification, he noted that the initiative would boost consumer protection and economic growth for Nigeria.
“We want to ensure that products manufactured in the free trade zone meet national standards to protect consumers and promote Nigeria’s economic development,” he stated.
On her part, Mrs Lydia Okaba, Head of Operations CFTZ, lauded SON for the sensitisation of investors in the zone, which has laid to rest the issues of MANCAP and SONCAP.
She said the SEZCAP scheme was digital, easier, and faster for the investors to register.
Okaba, however, appealed for a reduction of the SEZCAP certification fee, which was N2 million annually and N1.5 million for renewal, noting that it was on the high side for the investors, following the economic realities in the nation.
Also speaking, Mr Nanik Mirpuri, Managing Director of Combination Industries FZE, described SON’s initiative as timely and essential to maintaining product credibility in local and international markets.
Mirpuri, who said his company had operated in the zone since 1997, commended SON for its continuous collaboration, revealing that his firm was the first to register under the scheme.
He noted that Combination Industries single-handedly sponsored the development of standards for its products in partnership with SON, a move he said underscored their shared commitment to quality assurance.
According to him, the introduction of SEZCAP represents a major step forward, ensuring that goods produced in Nigeria’s free zones meet global standards and are export-ready.
However, he expressed concern over what he described as the need for a “level playing field,” questioning whether local manufacturers outside the free zone pay comparable registration fees.
Mirpuri urged SON to ensure that all manufacturers, both within and outside the free trade zone, adhere to the same quality and regulatory standards to sustain fairness and competitiveness.
