The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerians to check product labels and certification marks before buying electrical appliances, warning that quality and energy-efficiency standards are essential for consumer safety and lower electricity costs.
SON Director-General, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, gave the advice on Saturday, October 10, 2026, during the organisation’s celebration of World Standards Day in Abuja.
According to a report by The Authority published on October 10, Okeke said consumers should look beyond the initial purchase price of electrical appliances and consider their energy efficiency and long-term operating costs.
He explained that energy-efficient products could help households reduce electricity consumption and save money over time, even when their purchase prices were higher.
Okeke also urged manufacturers, importers and traders to comply with approved standards, stressing that SON certification marks indicate that products meet applicable quality, safety and conformity requirements.
He said the organisation was strengthening product authentication and traceability to help consumers verify the genuineness of products using their mobile phones.
The SON chief added that the organisation had introduced digital processes for accessing standards and moved its SON Conformity Assessment Programme and import permit processes to the National Single Window to improve efficiency and transparency for legitimate businesses.
The organisation’s push for energy-efficient appliances is backed by its SON Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme, which provides consumers with information to compare the energy performance of selected electrical products.
According to SON’s official guidelines, the energy labels include manufacturer details, the appliance model, its energy-efficiency rating and estimated annual electricity consumption. A QR code also links consumers to model information in SON’s database.
The scheme covers refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and lighting products in its first phase. Other categories, including televisions, electric fans and water heaters, are listed under the second phase.
SON’s published implementation timeline sets December 2026 for mandatory enforcement of the energy-labelling requirements.
Okeke said compliance with standards would also help protect genuine manufacturers from unfair competition by businesses selling substandard products.
He urged Nigerians to pay attention to certification marks and energy-efficiency information when purchasing appliances, while encouraging businesses to prioritise product quality and compliance with approved standards.
The 2026 World Standards Day celebration focused on the theme, “Standards: Vision for a Better World – Spotlight on SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy.”
