SON Deploys Authentication Technology Amid Proliferation of Fake Products 

James Emejo in Abuja

Director General/Chief Executive, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Okeke, said the agency is stepping up its campaign against fake and substandard products through a technology-driven authentication system that will enable consumers to verify the genuineness of goods with their mobile phones.

Speaking at the 2026 World Standards Day celebration in Abuja, over the weekend, he said SON was strengthening market surveillance, product authentication and traceability to make it easier for consumers to distinguish genuine products from unapproved goods.

The standards organisation seeks to close gaps exploited by counterfeiters in the domestic market amid unprecedented proliferation in recent times. 

Under the Product Authentication Tracking System, consumers can use their phones to check products carrying embedded identification technology and establish whether they meet SON’s requirements, reducing dependence on physical visits or enquiries to the agency.

Okeke said the initiative formed part of broader efforts to improve consumer protection and ensure that businesses operating within the country adhered to established quality and safety requirements.

He urged market associations, traders and business owners to stock and sell only products bearing appropriate SON certification marks, warning that standards were essential to fair competition, consumer confidence and the survival of compliant manufacturers.

According to him, producers of substandard goods enjoy an unfair cost advantage over manufacturers investing in quality, undermining legitimate businesses and weakening the credibility of Nigerian products.

He added that SON was transitioning from its old certification logo to a more recognisable design to help consumers identify approved products more easily.

Digital reforms target trade bottlenecks

Beyond product authentication, Okeke said SON had migrated its conformity assessment processes under the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP) and import permit procedures to the National Single Window, in a move intended to improve transparency and streamline transactions for legitimate traders.

The agency had also introduced a digital standards platform to modernise standardisation processes and improve online access to standards, supporting businesses that need to comply with technical requirements.

Okeke said the agency’s work extended across energy management, transportation, food safety, healthcare and other strategic sectors, with standards providing the benchmarks needed to protect consumers, facilitate trade and strengthen industrial competitiveness.

He noted that Nigeria’s participation in international trade depended partly on the ability of local producers to meet recognised quality requirements, adding that consistent standards could build confidence in Made-in-Nigeria products and improve their competitiveness.

SON also hosted what Okeke described as the first African Quality Mark Award Ceremony, recognising Nigerian companies and products that had attained continental quality certification.

Energy standards target efficiency, lower costs

On the event’s focus on affordable and clean energy under Sustainable Development Goal 7, Okeke said SON had approved 80 standards in 2024 covering the compressed natural gas (CNG) ecosystem, including conversion kits, electrical connections, vehicle diagnostics, roadworthiness, vehicle safety, storage vessels and refuelling stations.

The standards, he said, were designed to support the safe and reliable deployment of CNG as an alternative fuel, particularly as Nigeria pursues a transition towards more affordable energy sources.

He also highlighted the agency’s Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme and Minimum Energy Performance Standards, known as SONMEL, which provide consumers with information on the energy performance of electrical and electronic appliances.

The scheme is intended to help buyers assess the longer-term running costs of products rather than focus solely on their purchase prices.

Okeke acknowledged that manufacturers could face transition costs associated with new technology, research, development and staff training, but urged businesses to prioritise energy-efficient production.

Female farmers seek affordable clean energy

In a goodwill message, the National President of Female Farmers Apex Cooperative Society Ltd, Dr. Maimuna Abdullahi Habib, called for stronger collaboration among SON, government agencies, financial institutions and development partners to make quality-assured clean energy technologies accessible and affordable to women farmers, livestock producers and market traders.

Habib said solar-powered refrigeration, clean energy for agro-processing and reliable renewable energy systems could help reduce post-harvest losses, preserve food quality, improve productivity and raise incomes across agricultural value chains.

A veterinarian and former Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, she said empowering women in agriculture required more than creating business opportunities; it also demanded appropriate technology, infrastructure, quality standards and institutional support.

She recalled that while serving as chief veterinary officer, her office constructed a shed at Wuse Market, Abuja, for Fulani women selling nono, or fresh cow’s milk, an intervention she said reflected the importance of connecting public policy with the practical needs of agricultural producers and traders.

Habib said access to reliable energy could strengthen women-led agribusinesses, improve the resilience of rural and market-based livelihoods and support sustainable agricultural development.

She urged stakeholders to ensure that standards translated into tangible economic benefits for consumers, producers and small businesses.