The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has undertaken a quality assurance inspection of Cross River Garment Factory (CRGF) in Calabar, in furtherance of efforts on tackling the coronavirus pandemic scare in the country.
The SON team led by the Cross River State Coordinator, Michael Ogbuji, inspected the factory which engages in mass production of Ankara barrier masks in furtherance of the “No Masks, No Movement” policy of the State Government.
The Acting Managing Director of CRGF, Edet Joseph noted in his remarks that the factory’s product is double-layer composite mask with inner liner and high tensile strength of the head harness as well as neat sowing finishes.
According to him, the Ankara material being used for the barrier masks is 100% cotton and sourced from neighbouring Abia State.
He said in a statement on Sunday that all precautionary safety measures are being observed in the mass production of the re-usable masks with capacity for 100,000 units per day. It can be used for a maximum of 4 weeks, he said.
Joseph stated that the company, which commenced operations in 2018, was producing largely for the Cross River State Ministry of Health, which distributes it freely throughout the State.
Responding after the tour of the production facility, Ogbuji on behalf of the SON Director General, Osita Aboloma commended the company’s management for the initiative in response to the Federal Government’s call for sustainable production in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that the inspection was aimed at adding value from the raw materials, processes to the finished products of the barrier masks to ensure that they comply with the requirements of AFNOR SPEC S76‐001: 2020, one of the Standards provided by SON to meet Nigeria’s need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SON Coordinator admonished the company’s Management to share necessary technical information regarding the production and quality control checks with SON and assured them of absolute confidentiality.
Other issues discussed with the company’s management include the barrier filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, labelling requirements for identification and traceability in the markets, amongst others.
He commended the Cross River State Government for the initiative and advised the Company’s Management to keep and maintain records of all quality control checks carried out on the finished products.
HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA
