Overview

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act, 2015 (Act No. 14) is a Nigerian federal law enacted on May 26, 2015, to repeal the previous Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act (Cap S9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) and provide a new legal framework for the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). The Act establishes SON as a body corporate with perpetual succession, capable of suing and being sued, and acquiring or disposing of property. It is organized into nine parts: Part I establishes the Organisation and grants the Minister power to issue directives; Part II creates the Standards Council of Nigeria, defining its functions; Part III outlines the Organisation's functions, including establishing a standard library and charging for services; Part IV covers staff matters, including the appointment of a Director-General as administrative head, director roles, staff regulations, pensions, and exemption from liability; Part V addresses financial provisions, including a fund, expenditure, annual estimates, accounts, audits, annual reports, borrowing powers, and acceptance of gifts; Part VI establishes procedures for Nigerian Industrial Standards, certificate marks, offences related to standards, Ministerial power to declare standards binding, port designations, and Director-General's powers over hazardous products; Part VII defines offences such as entering premises, evasion of fees, and penalties for bodies corporate; Part VIII covers legal proceedings, jurisdiction, fines application, court directions, indemnity, limitation of suits, service of processes, onus of proof, and restrictions on execution; Part IX includes miscellaneous provisions on reports, test purchases, product recalls, destruction of violative goods, statements in documents, rule-making powers, repeal and savings, interpretation, and citation. The Act substantially increases penalties for violations compared to the prior law.

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