Lubcon International Managing Director Taiye Williams proposed a unified body, saying a specific unit is needed to handle lubricant testing because relying on the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), which is engaged with many other sectors, may not be easy.

The unified body will be involved in testing the base oils that are coming into the country and already used for lube production. The body could also work along with the OEMs and blenders to see whether they can do some engine testing within the country also, Williams told Lube Report on the sidelines of the Nigerian Lubricant Summit.

Engineer Kayode Sote, principal consultant at Lube Services Associates, agreed that the unified body would be geared strongly towards OEM specification. They can partner with OEMs so it can be a focal point in terms of standards, regulations and performance standards in the country, Sote said.

Mary-Jane Adeeko of Frals Testing and Consulting Services Ltd. said that the unified body would function as a national accreditation body for Nigerias whole lubricant sector.

The body will face strict standardization because the standardization that is supposed to be done every five years is not being done – SON faces too many things. The new body will face standardization and ensure that all our products have standards, and that the standards are reviewed at the time of certification, Adeeko said. It will also take care of accrediting and certifying those who do training – if you are a trainer for ISO certification, you will be certified by that body, as will auditors, inspectors, and calibrators.

Engineer Linus Ilozue, managing director of Nigerian blender A-Z Chemicals, said the unified body is a realizable goal.

It should be an internationally certified body that the government can partner with. It should also have an international license and certification, said Ilozue. Between SON and the Department of Petroleum Resources, they can do that. SON can own a lab; SON can finance it and put up a standard lab for the testing of all its materials.

Ilozue said when such body is established, it should be certified internationally so that OEMs can use it for oil analysis, which would bring about job creation for Nigerians.

Emeka Obidike, executive secretary of the Lubricants Producers Association of Nigeria, described the proposed body as a welcome development.

If we have a unified body charged with testing and standards for the lubricant sector, it is all about strengthening the sector, said Obidike. It will help to ensure that all products that are used in the country and imported are meeting standards, and it will help to identify blenders that are not living up to expectations.