The Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Osita Aboloma, has warned operators of the Small and Medium Enterprises and agro-allied businesses against substandard products.

He asked them to comply with ISO standards or their businesses would be doomed.

Aboloma, represented by the Regional Coordinator, South-South, Mr. Papanye Don-Pedro, spoke at a one-day sensitisation workshop on compliance with international standards for SMEs and agro -allied enterprises.

The workshop ended in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday.

He said there was the need to help SMEs and agro-allied businesses to enhance efficiency and increase their productivity.

The workshop was organised to sensitize participants on the international organization for standardization’s ISO 9001:2015 generic standards.

Aboloma stated that with the enormous potential in the agro-allied industry and with the diversification agenda of the Federal Government, it was imperative to sensitize SME entrepreneurs on the fundamentals of the international organization for standardization’s ISO 9001:2015 model.

The SON DG explained that the workshop was geared towards enlightening entrepreneurs on the benefits of adopting the ISO standards.

He said: “This workshop will among others help you to focus on the important areas of your agro-business and improve efficiency.

“It will reduce wastages, increase productivity and profit, improve customer retention and acquisition, bring about consistent outcomes, and give your customers and clients confidence that you are working to standards and procedures that will provide them with high standard of customer service.”

A consultant, Mr. Nweze Chamberlain, stressed that the essence of the workshop was to enable SMEs to realign with modern management techniques.

In a presentation, the Coordinator of SON in Rivers and Bayelsa states, Ololade Ayoola,  said it was important to encourage SMEs and agro-allied enterprises to step up their game and align with international best practices.

He said the international organization for standardization’s ISO ISO 9001:2015 is a quality management system first published in 1987.

He said the latest, which is the most successful and widely used, according ISO standard to experts, was brought to the fore in 2015.

SOURCE: THE NATION