By Emmanuel Uffot
SON has awarded its prestigious ISO 9001: 2015 Certification to Techno Oil Limited for complying with best practices and international standards.
The ISO 9001: 2015 certification which was awarded to the oil giant In Lagos on August 16 is a quality management system award bestowed on companies by SON for full compliance with quality standards and best practices in management.
Speaking on the very important Certification, The Group Managing Director/CEO of Techno Oil Limited Mrs Nkechi Obi, described the award as another laurel to be clinched by the company. “We are excited with the award as a recognition of our commitment to best practices and we are ever grateful to SON for being our partner in progress. With the award, Techno Oil will continue to ensure and sustain compliance with both local and international standards at every level of our operations”.
She further described the Certification as another milestone recorded by the company having earlier received ISO 9001: 2008 in the past. ‘This shows our unalloyed commitment to best practices as a company”.
Obi said the award was issued as a result of the conformity of the company’s Quality Management System to the requirements of the standard ISO 9001; 2015. She said the award followed about two year of rigorous certification assessment by auditors after which the system was adjudged to have conformed to the requirements of the international standards. ‘The ISO award is a sign of our commitment on how we will go about our business with the best practices. We will continue to implement every step that has been outlined to us. It is a way of life for us and we will continue to improve and abide by the principles of ISO in our operations”.
The certification was formally presented to the chief executive of Techno Oil Limited Mrs. Nkechi Obi by the Director- General of SON Mallam Farouk Saliman Tuesday August 16.
Presenting the award to Mrs Nkechi Obi at the Head Office, Mr Felix Nyado, Director, Management Systems Certification, SON who represented the Director General Farouk Salim said by the achievement, the company has joined a privileged class of Quality Management System, certified organisations in Nigeria. “This milestone achievement in the pursuit of service excellence is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by all oil and gas, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing companies in Nigeria. As I join other Nigerians to congratulate you on this milestone achievement, permit me to remind you that the petroleum industry is the hub of the development for Nigeria’s economy and needs to be sustained if the country is to achieve real economic growth and create new jobs. Adoption of the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system framework reflects your vision to deliver quality products to your customers at all times. I am confident that this focus on production of quality products will also strengthen your relationships with stakeholders”.
Salim noted that the certification was for a duration of three years which would be subjected to review annually. He said the company must therefore strive conformed with all the outlined processes in order not to have it withdrawn. “I am aware that your products such as Liquified Petroleum Gas cylinders and lubricants are under the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) and today you are being presented a certificate of conformity to ISO 9001: 2015. You will agree with me that your biggest challenge in this endless journey to excellence will be to consistently direct your efforts towards meeting customer requirements to enhance their satisfaction. I am dure that this certification to ISO 9001: 2015 will be a launching pad for your organization”, the DG said.
The ISO 9001: 2015 which is a more sought-after certification by manufacturing companies is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Most organisations use the standard to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.
Similarly, the ISO 9001: 2015 specifies requirements for a quality system when the organization aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system. These include processes for improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
This certification is another major certification earned in the course of its operation in the past one decade. It could be recalled, the regulatory body (SON) had last year its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme MANCAP certification to the company on its Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) steel cylinders which SON said were adjudged to conform to Nigerian Industrial Standards 69 and 200 at the end of a rigorous exercise.
According SON, this particular certification which also has a three-year lifespan is given to companies that have distinguished themselves in their various manufacturing and production categories. MANCAP is a mandatory product certification scheme put in place by SON to ensure that all locally manufactured products in the country conform to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards before such products are presented for sale in the market.
Techno oil had in 2019 inaugurated a plant with the capacity to produce five million cylinders annually for LPG, also known as cooking gas.
The CEO of Techno Oil who bared her mind on the MANCAP Certification had recalled that the journey to its diversity into gas cylinder production started in 2015 when the company announced its decision to establish a state -of- the -art LPG cylinder manufacturing plant. She said the venture was motivated by the company’s strong passion for quality and total compliance with regulatory procedures. In achieving that the company she revealed that company had sought the guidance of SON on equipment and machinery specification that would guarantee the production of quality cylinders capable of competing anywhere in the world.
The LPG cylinder plant of Techno Oil was inaugurated by Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo in June 2019 when it commenced full production.
Techno Oil Group is an integrated and wholly indigenous conglomerate having diverse investments in LPG coastal storage and distribution.
The company is also a major player in real estate, fuel terminal facilities, cylinder manufacturing and lubricants production and blending.
