In a farewell address that doubled as a strategic call to action, Mr. Feyisayo Ayeni, the outgoing Coordinator of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Kwara State, has charged the agency’s workforce to prioritize continuous capacity development as the non-negotiable foundation for effective service delivery and national progress.
Ayeni, recently elevated to Deputy Director and transferred to SON’s Training Department in Lagos, delivered this charge during a valedictory reception organized by staff in Ilorin. His message moved beyond a simple farewell, framing professional growth as a critical pillar for SON’s mission of quality assurance, standards enforcement, and consumer protection.
“The mandate of SON is vast and evolving—from combating substandard goods to certifying local products for global competitiveness,” Ayeni implied. “This requires a workforce that is not just compliant, but technically proficient, technologically adept, and strategically minded. Capacity development is the engine that drives our ability to protect Nigerian consumers and empower Nigerian industries.”
He contextualized this charge by highlighting the Kwara office’s legacy as a talent incubator, having produced three State Coordinators and several team leaders deployed elsewhere. “This wasn’t by accident,” he noted, attributing it to a culture of hard work and, implicitly, a focus on skill acquisition. This point underscores a vital lesson for public institutions: investing in human capital creates internal succession pipelines and strengthens the entire organization.
The tangible results of such leadership were outlined by Hajia Abiola Bayero, Chief Standards Officer. She reported that under Ayeni’s tenure, a remarkable 86 products were certified in Kwara State. This figure is not just a statistic; it represents increased formalization of local businesses, improved product quality and safety for consumers, and enhanced potential for intra-state trade. Bayero praised Ayeni’s “professionalism, integrity, and unwavering commitment,” which fostered teamwork and strengthened stakeholder relationships across the state.
In his own remarks, the new Kwara Coordinator, Mr. AbdulRazaq Oyewopo, commended Ayeni’s dedication to achieving SON’s mandate. This seamless transition and acknowledgment between incoming and outgoing leaders points to a stable institutional culture—a culture that Ayeni’s charge on capacity development seeks to entrench for the long term.
Deeper Context: Why Capacity Development is SON’s Lifeline
Ayeni’s focus on capacity building touches on the core challenges facing standardization bodies in developing economies. SON’s workforce must contend with:
- Evolving Technological Standards: From smart appliances to renewable energy systems, inspectors and certifiers need ongoing training to evaluate new technologies.
- Sophisticated Adulteration: Producers of substandard goods constantly change tactics, requiring equally agile detection and enforcement strategies from SON personnel.
- International Trade Compliance: To prevent Nigerian exports from being rejected, SON staff must be experts in international standards (ISO, Codex Alimentarius) and certification protocols.
Therefore, Ayeni’s move to the Training Department is particularly symbolic. His firsthand experience in a state office positions him to design training programs that address the real-world gaps faced by field officers, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to practical, actionable skills.
His valedictory speech, therefore, transcends a single event. It is a strategic imperative for SON. By investing in a culture of continuous learning and skill enhancement, SON can ensure its workforce is not merely enforcing standards but is actively enabling a culture of quality that fuels manufacturing, protects citizens, and builds a reputation for Nigerian products on the world stage. The celebration of 86 certifications in Kwara is a testament to what is possible; Ayeni’s charge is a roadmap for replicating and scaling that success nationwide.
(Based on a NAN report by Fatima Mohammed-Lawal, edited by Bayo Sekoni)
