Nigeria has obtained the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificate which will, among other benefits, boost the exportation of the country’s processed raw materials.
Unveiling the internationally accredited certificate to the public last Friday, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu said, with the certification given to the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), the country can now join the rest of the world in exporting processed raw materials.
Onu said the recent retooling of Nigeria’s industrialization research agency made the certification possible.
The most populous African country got the ISO/IEC 17025 through the Nigeria National Accreditation Service which subjected FIIRO to a competency test. The government agency was tested based on production, analytical and lab management.
ISO/IEC 17025 is the main ISO required standard used by testing and calibration laboratories. In most major countries, ISO/IEC 17025 is the standard for which most laboratories must hold accreditation in order to be deemed technically competent.
Laboratories use ISO/IEC 17025 to implement a quality system aimed at improving their ability to consistently produce valid results. It is also the basis for accreditation from an accreditation body.
This certification will increase the value of Nigeria’s raw materials, which can now be processed locally instead of being sent abroad for processing, Onu said.
FIIRO, which is a science and technology parastatal in Nigeria, currently has up to 50 research laboratories and 10 workshops under its supervision.
Source: GNA
