The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has certified 17,866 locally manufactured products from 8,634 companies under its mandatory quality programme, up from 1,930 products by 458 companies when the scheme began in 2006.
The figures were disclosed by Ifeanyi Okeke, SON director-generalat the 2026 National MANCAP Quality Presentation stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, marking the 20th anniversary of the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, amid rising concerns over fake and substandard goods.
Okeke said MANCAP was introduced to promote fair competition among local manufacturers, protect consumers from unsafe products and support economic diversification by ensuring that locally made goods meet the requirements of the Nigerian Industrial Standards.
He said enforcing mandatory certification is one of the steps the organisation is taking to fight substandard goods and restore sanity in the market, noting that growth in certified products reflects efforts to strengthen quality assurance and improve competitiveness of made-in-Nigeria products.
MANCAP is mandatory for locally manufactured products and involves factory inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and compliance reviews before certification. Certificates are renewable every three years, subject to annual surveillance inspections and testing.
According to Okeke, SON has introduced a new MANCAP logo to improve consumer recognition and promote certified products through its website and Digital Standards Platform.
He said the agency is also strengthening laboratory infrastructure, technical capacity and compliance monitoring across the manufacturing sector to improve enforcement.
Speaking on the theme “Building Trust in Quality and Safety Ecosystem,” Chris Osa Isokpunwu, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment , who represented Jumoke Oduwole, the minister, said sustaining the programme was critical to strengthening Nigeria’s industrial base and expanding the market for locally manufactured goods.
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Isokpunwu said manufacturers who consistently meet certification requirements should be encouraged, stressing that quality, safety and reliability are essential to building consumer confidence at home and improving access to international markets.
“Quality must become a driver of industrial growth, not just something done for regulatory compliance,” he said.
He called for stronger coordination among government institutions and improved access to technical support for manufacturers, urging that standards be integrated into every stage of production, from product design and raw material sourcing to manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
Such integration, he said, would help businesses reduce waste, improve efficiency and protect their reputation while supporting local production.
Isokpunwu added that stronger compliance and credible certification would support local production, attract foreign investment, create jobs and increase non-oil exports, adding that the ministry would continue to work with SON and the private sector to strengthen quality standards, protect consumers and open new markets for Nigerian products.
Josephine Okojie-Okeiyi is a journalist with over five years’ reporting experience. She writes on industry, agriculture, commodities, climate change, and environmental issues. She is fellow of Thomson Reuters Foundation and Bloomberg Media Initiative for Africa.