24 Enugu Firms Receive SON’s MANCAP Certificate

*ECCIMA Tasks Govt To Empower MSMEs

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu

Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has issued Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificates to 24 firms operating within Enugu State.

The certificates covered the companies’ 41 products with one of the firms receiving Product Identification Certificate for its unique product.

Issuing the certificates yesterday in Enugu, Director-General (DG) of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, said that SON’s MANCAP certificate remained a seal of quality and international standards for made-in-Nigeria products globally.

Okeke said that MANCAP is a mandatory product certification scheme which ensures all locally manufactured products conform with Nigeria Industrial Standards (NIS) before such products are presented for export.

Represented by Director, South-East Region of SON, Mr Chukwuma Aharanwa, the DG noted that the issuance of MANCAP certificates to the companies followed periodic factory inspections, sampling and laboratory testing on the products to ensure their standards.

Okeke advised the companies to ensure that certified products continue to meet requirements of their relevant standards.

According to him, the product is to be re-certified every three years, adding “it is of utmost importance that you note that the certificates will be withdrawn or suspended if the products fails to meet the established standards.”

“The benefits of the MANCAP certification include: enhanced business growth and opportunities; improved product quality that meet customers’ expectations; and encourages continual improvement on quality of products and processes by manufacturing companies.

“It promotes global competitiveness among domestic manufacturers and their products; and promotes industrial/economic development by ensuring products meet the requirements of the relevant Nigeria Industrial Standards,” he said.

Speaking, the State Coordinator of SON in Enugu State, Mr Peter Ameh, congratulated the companies for passing through SON’s rigorous testing. retesting, monitoring and frequent factory inspections.

Ameh noted that what SON does is primarily to provide guidance and mentoring for companies to come out with, and attain, the best and international standards of their products notwithstanding remote location of their factories.

“Standards is a continuous process and since you (companies) are part of the SON family, we will continue to visit your manufacturing sites, assess you products periodically and give our professional advise where necessary,” he said.

Responding, Chief Executive Officer of SNC Industries, Mr Stanley Nwakudu, one of the benefitting companies, said that MANCAP certification would boost the patronage of his product and make it compete favourably with other international brands.

Nwakudu, whose firm produces Royal Germicidal Medicated Soap, assured SON that the company would sustain the standards of the product as it envisions to make it the best brand globally.

ECCIMA Tasks Govt To Empower MSMEs

Meanwhile, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines (ECCIMA) has charged governments at all levels to empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to become global brand producers.

President of ECCIMA, Mr Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe stated this yesterday at the ECCIMA council chamber in Enugu during a press conference to announce the forthcoming 37th Enugu International Trade.

The president pointed that the fair with theme ‘Empowering MSMEs for Global Competitiveness’, would be held from Saturday, 21 Marchto Monday, 30 March at the International Trade Fair Complex, Enugu.

Onyemelukwe said that the fair would provide a platform to assess the nation’s economic outlook, the attendant associated risks and opportunities that would be inclined to the business environment/landscape, to make informed business and investment decisions.

He said that the fair would be successfully held to the satisfaction of all stakeholders, adding that it would sustain new strategies and approaches introduced by former leaders of ECCIMA.

According to him, “Let me also use the opportunity of this 37th Fair Press Briefing to reassess our concern on the issue of deepening democracy in our country.

“The political atmosphere of the country is already heating up gradually, toward the General Elections of January and February, 2027.

“There is no doubt that it is only with a thriving economy and free enterprise that our democracy would be rooted and attention given to the development and growth of our economy through free business enterprises.”

The chamber boss said that this could be achieved by unleashing the industrial sector and harnessing the oil and non-oil sectors of the nation’s economy for the much talked about value-chain for growth and development.

“We are very hopeful that the 37th Enugu International Trade Fair would be a success, despite the challenges in the economic environment,” he said.

Onyemelukwe noted that the fair would attract hundreds of major companies in Nigeria, while the chamber had advanced talks with Ghana and Kenya officials and business concerns.

He said that Gov. Peter Mbah would declare the fair open and the opening ceremony would attract Ministers, captains of industry and other critical business stakeholders within the country.

He said, “Some of the strategies meant to make the fair exceptional include free gate fee for all, tight security, 24 hours power, and exhibitors will use the newly inaugurated 3000 square metre tent.

“We will deepen the use of social media as a marketing mix to reinforce our conventional media publicity and outreach in promoting the fair as well as putting more funding publicity; provision of free transport services to/fro the trade fair complex from Abakpa, Emene, Gariki and Holy Ghost Bus Terminals. This will be at prime time of each day, 4pm precisely, to encourage Enugu people to visit the fair.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Representatives of the 24 firms in a group photograph with SON officials.