The Nigerian Government has unveiled a Digital Standards Platform to strengthen confidence in Made-in-Nigeria products, simplify regulatory compliance for businesses and enhance the country’s global competitiveness through improved quality standards.
Speaking at the unveiling in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, described the initiative as a major step towards accelerating industrialisation, promoting digital governance and advancing President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda.
He said the collaboration between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and Nigeria Technology Company Goringu, demonstrated government’s commitment to coordinated reforms.
READ ALSO: Nigeria Expands Digital Forensics To Boost Cybersecurity
“For government, whenever Agencies and Ministries collaborate, it’s an indication of progress that is being made, the challenge and the criticism of government is that there is over dependence on government so when there’s a collaboration between two, I think that collaboration is well made.”
The Minister said Nigeria’s large domestic market could only be fully harnessed if consumers had confidence in the quality of locally manufactured products, stressing that the new digital platform would strengthen that trust while making compliance easier for manufacturers, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“I think that what we’re launching today is one of the things that is going to increase the confidence in our products.
“The Digital Standards Platform dismantles all such barriers. It places the full library of our national standards, compliance tools and certification services within the reach of everyone.
“It converts standardisation from a bureaucratic hurdle into a business advantage,” Enoh said.
He stated that the Bureau of Public Procurement would fully integrate the platform into its procurement process, describing the move as a significant boost for implementation “because public procurement remains the largest purchaser of goods and services in Nigeria”.
The Minister linked the initiative to Nigeria’s industrial ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), warning that local industries must meet internationally accepted standards to remain competitive across Africa and beyond.
“Made in Nigeria goods should be a mark of pride, not just an act that you do out of patriotism.
“If our goods are not competitive and are not qualitative, what it means is that we’ll soon become a dumping ground.”
The Director-General and Chief Executive of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, unveiled the platform in Abuja, describing it as a transformative step towards building a digitally enabled national quality infrastructure aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria First Policy.
“The Digital Standards Platform is our answer to that question. From today, Nigeria’s Industrial Standards, compliance tools, conformity assessment services and standards-related resources are available digitally, searchable, accessible and verifiable, without the barriers of distance, queues or paperwork.”
He explained that the platform serves as a single digital gateway to Nigeria’s quality infrastructure, offering access to Nigerian Industrial Standards, certified products, verified manufacturers and other standards-related resources through an integrated online marketplace and directory.
According to the SON Chief Executive, the initiative also provides Nigerians with more affordable access to internationally recognised standards through the organisation’s licensing agreements with global standards bodies.
“Leveraging SON’s subscriptions and copyright licensing arrangements with international standards organisations, the Platform enables users to purchase selected adopted international standards at up to 35 per cent below the original acquisition cost,” he added.
