Director General, Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON,  Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim has clamored for the supporting of Local Industries so as to fight the insecurity in the country.

Salim said that if local industries are supported, it will create job which helps in curbing insecurity in the country.

DG re-emphasizies his message on the need to protect industries in order to guarantee protection, safety, greatness and progress of the nation and its people, he said industrialization as well as protection of lives and properties have been his consistent preaching since assumption of duties.
According to Salim, Nigeria is blessed with enormous natural and human resources that needed investments to harness the inherent benefits with its attendant multiplier effects on individuals, families, communities, companies and the nation’s economy as a whole.
According to him, “ this is the reasons the nation is battling insecurity due to lack of adequate protection for local industries, leading to shut down, loss of jobs and income, which breeds criminal activities”.
Describing supports for local industries as panacea for myriads of security and economic issues bedeviling the nation, he postulated that gainful employment would provide regular disposable income for the citizen’s wellbeing,
Others include payment of personal and company taxes, self-respect and dignity, thus discouraging banditry, terrorism, cultism, separatism and general social vices.
He disclosed this during a facility visit to the African Natural Resources and Mines Limited, located at Gujeni, Kagarko local government area of Kaduna state, where he commended the African Industries, the parent company of African Natural Resources and Mines (ANRML) for believing in Nigeria.
The company, he said, is re-investing millions of dollars into the country for the next 50 years, thus contributing in no small measures, to the nation’s gross domestic product.

He however said ANRML investment is currently one of the largest in the nation, outside oil and gas sector, stressing that production of high quality products under SON’s guidance, would be for local consumption and export, thus attracting the much-needed foreign exchange for the country.
“It is therefore, SON’s priority to make Nigerian industry, an entity safe for the workers, competitive for the investors and producing quality goods to meet the needs of our large population and export to the huge potential markets in the West African region with technical support and guidance,” he said.
Mallam Salim however called on prospective investors to emulate the ANRML and become part of the journey to improve the lives of Nigerians, while also enjoying high returns on investments.
While welcoming the SON DG to the Gujeni Integrated Iron Ore Mining and Processing Project site earlier, the Group Managing Director, African Industries, Alok Gupta commended SON’s role in making Nigerian products globally competitive through its quality assurance activities that help to build consumer confidence for products certified by the Organization.
Gupta disclosed that the Manufacturing Group has been in operation in Nigeria for over 50 years with diversified operations in Steel, Chemicals, Commodities and Power generation.
According to him, the AIG is synonymous with quality products that are certified under the SON Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme as well as international standards and revealed that the company was the first in Nigeria to export steel products to international destinations.
He stated further that “with the abundance of iron ore in the country, the company decided to go for backward integration by setting up an integrated iron ore plant in the country making ANRML Nigeria’s largest non-oil foreign direct investment (FDI) which will catalyze the development of steel and manufacturing as a whole”.
Gupta also noted that the project is expected to have lasting socio-economic benefits through creation of job opportunities, social infrastructure, skill development, contribution to the GDP and more importantly saving scarce foreign exchange by means of import substitution,” he added.