By Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Three manufacturing companies in Bauchi state have received the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) for producing goods that meet the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS).
The three companies are Made Mock International Services Limited (producer of Topciti Table water), Amjet Honey Bakery (Amjet Honey Bread) and AK Jamil Bread (AK Jamil Special Bread).
MANCAP introduced by SON in 2006, is a mandatory product certification scheme designed to ensure that locally manufactured products meet the relevant NIS.
The Bauchi State Coordinator of SON, Engineer Hauwa M. Husseini, who presented the award to the recipients at the ceremony held Friday in Bauchi disclosed that the award was a culmination of a series of regulatory inspections conducted by SON in the state.
This regulatory inspections by the organisation included a production facility tour, on-line sample collection, on the spot analysis of samples collected during inspection to check compliance with SON standards.
According to her “the procedures for MANCAP certification involve inspection of the production processes, sampling and testing of the products against the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) to confirm compliance”.
“This is then followed by an analysis of selected products in SON’s laboratory to ensure the enrichment of required nutrients and compliance with set standards.
Other aspects of the monitoring visits, according to her,include, compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices within our production environment, as well as the availability of relevant food safety regulatory documentation of our processes, which are sighted on inspection, and taken with them for their records”.
She said that the award was to companies that have distinguished themselves in their various manufacturing and production categories,but however noted that ” our certificates are on loan,on loan in the sense that after the certificate is given to you,we expect you to continue improving as we will come to check from time to time and also test your production “.
” We expect you to continuously improve on what you’re doing and while we check and find out you’re not maintaining the quality, the certificate will be retrieved and you are going to be sanctioned. That’s why I say our certificates are on loan”.
She said the MANCAP certificate was valid for three years after which the products must undergo re-certification but however reiterated the warning that the certificate issued can be withdrawn if the products fails at anytime to meet the requirements of the standards
She maintained that MANCAP is a mandatory product certification scheme introduced by SON to ensure that all locally manufactured goods conform with the relevant NIS before such products are presented for sale in the market or exported.
Hauwa concluded that MANCAP aims to provide a level playing field in competitive domestic and international market, while also preventing the dumping of unsafe and counterfeited products in the country.
