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Director General, SON, Ifeanyi Okeke
The Director General of the organisation, Ifeanyi Okeke, at the inauguration of the mobile generators and transformers laboratories in Lagos on Thursday, noted that SON had identified the power transformer as a very important component of the power supply chain that required monitoring to ensure its quality complies with Nigeria’s industrial standard requirements.
Okeke said the organisation embarked on the project in fulfilment of its mandate to organise tests and do everything necessary to ensure compliance with standards designated and approved by the council.
He emphasised that the launch of the laboratory was to provide convenience, and flexibility, reduce turnaround time, reduce costs and provide ease of doing business for clients.
He disclosed that the mobile testing facility was equipped to carry out tests on transformers such as load testing, protection test, generator efficiency, power factor, voltage regulation test, insulation test, emission test of generators exhaust and noise level check.
“These are critical tests that will determine the quality of generators and will supply information to our product certification department for MANCAP certification.
“The mobile testing on the transformer will include insulation resistance, winding test, ration test, polarity test, leakage resistance partial discharge test and no-load loss and excitation current among others.
Speaking further, the DG said the provision of the mobile testing facility would assist “SON to achieve among other total coverage of Nigeria; full implementation of MANCAP for local assemblers, importers and sellers of the two products in Nigeria.
“Sanction all suppliers of substandard generators and transformers in Nigeria; carry out spot test at the entry point of such product into Nigeria; ensure that all measuring equipment used is calibrated; resolve all complaints received from the buyer of such product, among others.”
He warned assemblers, and importers of those products that it was no longer business as usual, noting that buyers must have value for their money “and to know that all information supplied on their product will be verified and tested for compliance to Nigeria’s industrial standard”.
“SON will be collaborating will other government agencies in the electricity sector to sanitise the market and ensure that only certified products are allowed in the Nigeria market.
“I also assure Nigeria that our administration will continue to do everything in line with our mandate to rid the market of substandard products. And to our media houses, we solicit more of your support to sensitise Nigerians on the need to patronise certified made-in-Nigeria products,” Okeke explained.
On his part, Director of Lab Services, SON, Richard Adewunmi, who made a presentation on the impact and overview of SON laboratories services on economic growth, said the facilities were a plus for the organisation and consumers, which would help in saving time and money.
He said, “In the past, we had lots of complaints from consumers which could not be handled, but now, all of those problems are over with those this mobile lab.
“This lab detects emission level and ascertains noise emission status. Transformers are vital in our community. So, every material used in coupling transformer must be certified.”
