Business
SON To Simplify SMEs Certification Process
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has revealed plans to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across the country by simplifying access to certification and standards, in line with global best practices.
According to the agency, its initiative at the forefront of this drive is the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme, designed to assist local manufacturers in maintaining quality and safety standards, a key requirement for gaining consumer trust and penetrating international markets.
Acting Regional Director for SON in Lagos, Theresa Ojomo, disclosed this during the annual Walk for Standards event held in Lagos to mark World Standards Day.
She stated SON’s role in facilitating the growth of small businesses through programmes tailored to their needs.
“We have brought it down to the very small micro-organisations, encouraging them that they can imbibe standards”, she said.
She noted that businesses operating with minimal infrastructure could ensure quality in their production processes with SON’s support.
Ojomo explained that SON had made the process of adhering to standards more affordable and less burdensome for SMEs.
“We have brought in schemes that are very low in the economy because they always complained that it’s costly to have standards and quality.
“SON conducts only one inspection per year for micro-enterprises to ease the compliance process. The government and SON are ensuring that as small as the unit is, you can imbibe standards”, she remarked.
The Head of Codex, Nutrition and Tobacco Monitoring at SON, Yunusa Mohammed, reiterated that the organisation was committed to ensuring that consumers get value for their money by enforcing quality and safety standards.
“The ultimate aim for developing standards is to ensure quality and safety. Without testing the product to the requirements of the product standard, there is no way you can give that assurance”, he said.
Mohammed noted that SON had invested in state-of-the-art laboratories across the country to further support SMEs by offering testing services that help small businesses certify their products for both local and international markets.
Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.
“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.
“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.
The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.
The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.
According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.
If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.
The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.
“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.
The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.
To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.
The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.
Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.
Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.
The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.