Dike Onwuamaeze The federal government is making concerted efforts aimed at putting a standard metrology facility in place that would serve as the bedrock to the nation’s economic development, boost confidence in the country’s export products and end the era when Nigeria relied on foreign metrology institutes’ laboratories for testing and calibration of manufactured products. The Director General of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, disclosed this during World Metrology Day 2025 with the theme, “Measurement for All Times, For All People,” which celebrated 150 years of global measurement unity. Metrology is the scientific study of measurement, crucial for ensuring accuracy and standardisation across various fields, including science, industry, and trade. Okeke said: “SON is making concerted efforts aimed at putting a standard metrology facility in place to serve as bedrock to the nation’s economic development, put Nigeria in its pride of place and ensure traceability and save capital fright.” He revealed that in furtherance of these objectives, the country’s National Metrology Institute (NMI) in Enugu is receiving greater attention in equipment supply, infrastructural development, training of officers and accreditation of laboratories. “When completed and fully developed, it will ensure accredited testing and calibration laboratories obtain traceability of measurement locally, saving hard currency paid to foreign NMIs. “It will boost the country’s export base by providing confidence and reliability in export goods; improve citizen health and ensure a safe environment through accurate measurements, strengthen other components of the National Quality Infrastructure, reduce disputation and transaction costs in industry and commerce and improve product quality, and increase competitiveness,” Okeke said. Speaking, the ZONE ‘A’ Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Assistant Comptroller-General Charles Orbih, said that the evolution of measurement standards has silently shaped the way customs work that when goods come into the country, they do so under the watchful eye of measurement systems that ensures fairness, safety, and compliance. He said: “Every container inspected, every tariff calculated, and every regulation enforced relies on the precision and reliability of measurements. At the NCS, we witness daily the practical implications of accurate measurements. Our scanners must precisely detect contraband hidden within legitimate cargo. Our weighing systems must accurately determine the weight of goods for the correct payment of duty. Our laboratories must precisely identify restricted substances. Without reliable measurements, our revenue collection, trade facilitation, and national security mandates would be compromised.” In his paper presentation, a lecturer in the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, Dr. Taofeek Abiodun Otunla, said the occasion was an opportunity to reflect on the universality, inclusiveness and future-oriented essence of metrology. Otunla said that “measurement is the invisible backbone of modern life. It governs the precision in our technologies, ensures fairness in trade, guarantees safety in industry, drives advancements in healthcare, and enables environmental monitoring. “In both developed and developing nations, the ability to measure accurately and consistently is foundational to progress,” adding that “measurement is not a luxury but a necessity for equitable development.” According to him, economic development hinges on trust and standardisation. Reliable measurement ensures that products meet specifications, reducing waste and increasing competitiveness. The Director of Product Certification Department, SON, Dr. Samuel Ayuba, therefore, appealed to Nigerian firms in the refineries, pressure and manufacturing industries to patronise the country’s NMI so that their calibration would have traceability and international acceptance.