By Chinonye Anyatonwu
The new Director General, DG, of the Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON,Malam Farouk Salim, has said that he will exert energy in driving changes that would promote innovations to stimulate national self-sufficiency.
Salim made the pledge in a short ceremony at the conference room of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment as he assumed office.
He took over from former Director-General, Mr Osita Aboloma, on September 26, 2020.
His assumption was witnessed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Permanent Secretary and Chairman, SON Governing Council, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, among others.
Commenting on his vision for the organisation, Salim promised to bring changes by promoting public safety, the role of standards in local manufacturing, import and export as well as creating an enabling environment for innovations.
He added to bring his core competencies in organisational restructuring, quality assurance and project management to bear in driving further the relevance of SON in national socio-economic development.
Salim stressed his desire to strengthen enforcement through increased cooperation with the relevant law enforcement authorities and the Judiciary.
He assures to work more closely with the National Assembly and the Executive arm of Government to update regulations and penalties as well as lobby for improved budgetary allocations for needed improvements and staff welfare.
“We would also leverage on information and communication technology to disseminate our activities more efficiently, real time, in order to engender greater stakeholders’ buy-in and revamp public confidence in our organisation,” he said.
The SON helmsman however pledges to also lessen red tape, further simplify payment systems through increased investment in information technology, to guarantee improved service delivery.
He assured the staff members of a level playing field to enable free flow of ideas and expression of competencies and urged them to continue to give their best to the Nation through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
Salim also promised to make stakeholders, particularly the organised private sector groups.
Malam Salim expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for the opportunity to further contribute to National development through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.
He reiterated his commitment to putting in his best to justify the confidence of the number one citizen.
He lauded his predecessor for his selfless services to SON in the last four years and wished him well in his future endeavour.
Mr Osita Aboloma, the former D-G, commended his predecessors for laying a solid foundation for the advancement of standardisation activities in Nigeria in line with international best practices.
He assured the new D-G of bequeathing to him a crop of highly competent staff members in virtually all fields of standardisation capable of being compared favourably with their counterparts in developed economies globally.
