Nigeria Secures International Recognition for Measurement Standards, SON Says

Nigeria has secured international recognition for its measurement standards following the signing of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM MRA) in France by the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke.

The development is expected to strengthen the international acceptance of Nigeria’s calibration and measurement certificates, facilitate cross-border trade and reduce manufacturers’ reliance on foreign measurement services.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by SON’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Ethan Talatu, Okeke signed the arrangement on behalf of Nigeria at the 28th meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures. The organisation said the milestone followed Nigeria’s admission as an Associate State of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures on June 4, 2026.

Okeke described the agreement as a significant step towards integrating Nigeria into the international measurement system. He explained that the arrangement provides a framework for national metrology institutes to demonstrate the equivalence of their measurement standards, enabling their calibration and measurement certificates to gain international recognition.

He added that the arrangement’s internationally recognised Calibration and Measurement Capabilities would be published in the BIPM Key Comparison Database. According to him, this would improve confidence in Nigeria’s technical capabilities and help local businesses compete more effectively in international markets.

For Nigerian manufacturers and small businesses, the development is expected to improve access to product testing and certification while increasing the chances of locally manufactured goods being accepted in overseas markets. SON also said the arrangement would strengthen its technical authority and create opportunities for international scientific collaboration and capacity building.

The milestone builds on the accreditation of three laboratories at Nigeria’s National Metrology Institute for mass, temperature and pressure measurements to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard through the Egyptian Accreditation Council. SON said the accreditation formed part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s quality infrastructure and improve the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

The organisation has also introduced digital initiatives, including the Digital Standards Platform, the electronic Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme and the Electronic Product Registration System. It moved its SON Conformity Assessment Programme and import permit processes to the National Single Window, reforms that earned it second place among federal ministries, departments and agencies in the 2024 Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council Transparency and Efficiency Report.

SON further disclosed that it had certified 131 companies and 220 products under the African Quality Mark to support local producers seeking access to markets across the continent through the African Continental Free Trade Area. The agency has also introduced the Nigerian National Standardisation Strategy for 2024–2027, secured approval for 217 Nigerian Industrial Standards and developed more than 80 standards for compressed natural gas.

The organisation said the international recognition of Nigeria’s measurement capabilities would complement these initiatives by improving confidence in Nigerian products, supporting industrial development and strengthening the country’s participation in global trade.