The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has formally received the Quality Management System Certification and Award from the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON).
The award ceremony which was held in Abuja brought to the fore NSDC’s elevation of his mode of operations and conduct of internal and external affairs to globally acceptable standards, a development which qualified it for the SON certification.
Speaking on the occasion, NSDC Executive Secretary, Zacch Adedeji, described the event as “historic and innovative given our general poor attitude to quality and standards in this part of the world.”
“The Council is committed to excellence and professionalism in the handling of her activities, hence our resolve to submit our system for certification by the SON.
“Quality and standards are two important attributes that feature prominently in our affairs as an agency. The Council as a matter of deliberate policy anchored its corporate mandate or policy on these two ingredients, which was why we didn’t find the guidelines and operational modules of the SON strange or completely new,” the NSDC boss said.
Adedeji added that the globally tested initiatives adopted will help the Council to pursue its core mandate which include revitalization of the sugar sector and the attainment of self sufficiency in sugar production.
“A lot has been achieved in this regard especially as it relates to refining of raw sugar, but we are all out now to do more to develop the agricultural aspect of our Backward Integration Programme (BIP).”
Also speaking at the occasion, the immediate past NSDC boss, Dr Latif Busari, who kick-started the reforms leading to the SON certification in 2018, said Adedeji and his team deserve commendation for completing the process and leading the Council to the finish line.
Dr. Busari who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mr. Chris Mbamalu, said it was a long and tedious journey, adding that he was proud that Sugar Council now has a SON mark.
The Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, who was represented by Iyado Felix, urged the management and staff of NSDC not to let their guards down and allow the standards to drop as the vetting process is a continuous one.
He said SON could withdraw the certificate if the system is not complied with continuously and corrections are not adhered to.
Highlight of the occasion was the formal presentation of the award certificates and other necessary documents by SON to the NSDC team which also include its acting board chairman, HRH, Alh AK Abdullahi, the Etsu of Tsaragi.