SON STRENGTHENS NATIONAL QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH RESEARCH COLLABORATION ON MYCOTOXIN STANDARDS

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in collaboration with the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria (MSN), is set to host the 18th Annual Conference and Workshop themed “Mycotoxins in a Changing World: Risks, Management, and Innovations (SON 2025).” The programme reinforces SON’s mandate to strengthen the nation’s quality infrastructure through science-based standardization, enhanced conformity assessment, and strategic research partnerships.

Mycotoxins—naturally occurring contaminants that affect various agricultural commodities—present technical and trade-related challenges that require strong analytical capacity, clear scientific benchmarks, and harmonized standards to support national competitiveness. As Nigeria intensifies efforts to improve productivity and expand market access, robust standards and quality assurance frameworks remain critical to supporting industries and safeguarding consumer confidence.

In line with this mandate, SON continues to strengthen national quality infrastructure through the development and review of relevant standards, expanded laboratory competence, improved conformity assessment services, and capacity-building initiatives that support producers, processors, aggregators, and MSMEs in meeting established quality requirements.

Speaking ahead of the conference, the Director General/Chief Executive, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, emphasized that standardization is central to addressing mycotoxin-related challenges because it provides the scientific benchmarks and technical clarity required across agricultural and industrial value chains. He noted that SON’s collaboration with the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria reflects the Organisation’s commitment to strengthening research-driven standardization, enhancing measurement accuracy, and promoting evidence-based quality systems that align with global best practices.

He further stated that the conference provides a national platform for integrating emerging scientific knowledge into the standardization process, improving coordination among researchers, technical experts, industry stakeholders, and regulatory institutions, and reinforcing Nigeria’s drive toward a more competitive, standards-driven economy.

The programme will feature expert presentations, technical sessions, and knowledge-sharing engagements aimed at supporting national quality infrastructure, strengthening research-to-standard development linkages, and advancing Nigeria’s broader objectives on standards, innovation, industrial competitiveness, and consumer trust.

SON reaffirms its commitment to advancing a strong and globally competitive national quality infrastructure through science-based standards development, robust conformity assessment systems, and sustained collaboration with key stakeholders across the research, academic, industrial, and regulatory communities.