In the attempt to improve the standardization of electrical and electronic products in the country, the organization of Nigeria standards (SON) is collaborating with the Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC) to guarantee the safety of appliances in the market.
Speaking in an interested part forum on Thursday in Abuja, the general director of Son, Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, said that the forum was organized as part of the African tour of 2025 and the official visit of the Secretary General and Executive Director of the IEC, MR Philippe Metzger, to Nigeria.
According to him, “today is a memorable day for us in the fraternity of standardization. We are honored to organize the general secretary of the IEC, which means Nigeria's growing influence and commitment to international standards.”
He explained that Nigeria became an affiliated member of the IEC in 2006 and obtained a total membership in 2017, adding that the country, through Son, now reflected 23 technical committees of IEC locally.
“One of our main achievements is the improvement in the quality of Nigerian electrical cables, which are now globally competitive,” said the DG.
Okeke asked Nigerian manufacturers to take advantage of the IEC compliance evaluation schemes to obtain international certification of their products, boost exports and reduce rejections in global markets.
For his part, the president of Nerc, Sanusi Garba, said that the visit of the IEC team was timely considering the reforms in the electricity sector in Nigeria.
“The standards are essential for safety, efficiency and reliability in the electricity market. We must ensure that operators comply with them to avoid unnecessary accidents or system failures,” Garba said.
In his speech, the general secretary of the IEC, Mr. Philippe Metzger, commissioned Nigeria to completely adopt international standards in clean energy fields, digital technologies and smart networks.
He explained that adopting these standards would help boost the integration of the country into global supply chains and accelerate industrial innovation.
Metzger reiterated the importance of standards to protect quality and prevent insecure products from entering the Nigerian market.