FG launches digital standards platform, offers businesses up to 35% discount on international standards

The federal government has launched a Digital Standards Platform that gives Nigerian businesses, manufacturers and researchers faster, cheaper access to industrial standards and compliance services entirely online. The platform, unveiled by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), also offers discounts of up to 35% on internationally recognised standards.

Platform removes physical visits and paperwork

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) unveiled the platform over the weekend in Abuja. The SON Director-General, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, and the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, were both present at the event.

Through a single online portal, users can now search Nigerian Industrial Standards, verify certified products and manufacturers, and access conformity assessment services without visiting any SON office. Okeke said the agency built the platform in direct response to the difficulties businesses had been facing when trying to access standards and compliance information, according to Punch reports.

He said: "From today, Nigerian 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."

Up to 35% discount on international standards

One of the platform's headline features is discounted access to internationally recognised standards. Through SON's subscription and copyright licensing agreements with global standards organisations, users can access selected international standards at discounts of up to 35%. This reduces what had previously been a significant financial burden for smaller manufacturers and research institutions.

Okeke said lower-cost access to global standards would help Nigerian industries raise product quality, encourage innovation, and compete more effectively in regional and international markets. He added that the regulatory environment must keep pace with changes in technology and industry to properly support economic development.

Four key services under one digital gateway

Senator Enoh described the launch as a major step in Nigeria's industrialisation drive. He pointed to its alignment with the Federal Government's wider agenda to improve the ease of doing business and strengthen regulatory efficiency through technology, according to Leadership reports.

The platform brings together four key services under one digital gateway: the catalogue of Nigerian Industrial Standards, a certified products directory, a verified manufacturers register, and conformity assessment services.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that SON had launched a technology initiative to arrest the influx of fake and counterfeit products into the Nigerian market. That move followed the alarming rise of counterfeit and low-quality products, which have caused economic losses and posed significant threats to consumer well-being. According to the then Director-General of SON, Malam Farouk Salim, the technology, known as Product Authentication Mark (PAM), will ensure that all imported and manufactured products meet the requirements of the relevant standards.

For Nigerian businesses, the new digital platform means lower costs for compliance and easier access to the standards needed to improve product quality and compete regionally. The discounts on international standards directly reduce an expense that has long been a barrier for small manufacturers.