Mallam Farouk A Salim has one of those faces that you kind of recognise but you can’t fathom where you may have met. You also wonder why he is not an A-lister, or among the top hierarchy of appointees in the President Muhammed Buhari’s sacred cabinet.
No doubt, the charming Pharmacist has been dining and winning with the who is who in the circles of governance for years, basically because he is diligent in whatever is committed into his hands.
A Graduate of Pharmacy from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Salim also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) certificate from the Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
During his hay days in tertiary institutions, Salim exhibited good traits of leadership, one which earned him the post of National President of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students between 1982 and 1983.
Mallam Salim started his career at the Nassarawa Hospital, Kano as Hospital Pharmacist and worked with Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, Lagos as Medical Representative before relocating to the United States of America in 1990.
The young unassuming Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria just took over the reins of power from his predecessor at SON. He is expected to fight many more wars against counterfeits in the Nation. Wars he gallantly would win.
In August 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari conveyed the approval of his appointment as the new Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), through the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo.
The appointment, which has a four-year duration, takes effect from September 26, 2020.
He worked variously with different organisations in Missouri and Illinois in the United States of America as Clinical Pharmacist, Staff Pharmacist and Allergy Specialist, Consultant Partner, Consultant Pharmacist and lastly as Clinical Pharmacist with Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, USA from 1993 before his appointment as the Director General, SON.
He is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, registered with the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria and the Missouri Pharmacy Board in the United States of America.
Mallam Farouk A. Salim’s vision is to bring changes by promoting public safety, the role of standards in local manufacturing, import and export as well as creating an enabling environment for innovations that will stimulate national self-sufficiency.
The Standards Council of Nigeria basically Advises the Federal Government of Nigeria generally on the national policy on standards; Standards specifications; Quality control and metrology; Designating, establishing and approving standards; Determining the overall policy of SON;
In his personal life, Mallam Farouk Salim has exhibited competencies over organisational restructuring, quality assurance and management as well as project management.
Assuming office in September, 2020 Salim pledged to bring changes to SON by promoting innovations that would stimulate national self-sufficiency.
In a statement obtained from SON’s website, Salim promised to bring changes by promoting public safety, the role of standards in local manufacturing, import and export as well as creating an enabling environment for innovations.
He promised to bring his core competencies in organisational restructuring, quality assurance and project management to bear in driving further the relevance of SON in national socio-economic development.
Salim stressed his desire to strengthen enforcement through increased cooperation with the relevant law enforcement authorities and the Judiciary.
He promised to work more closely with the National Assembly and the Executive arm of Government to update regulations and penalties as well as lobby for improved budgetary allocations for needed improvements and staff welfare.
“We would also leverage on information and communication technology to disseminate our activities more efficiently, real time, in order to engender greater stakeholders’ buy-in and revamp public confidence in our organisation,” he said.
The SON helmsman promised to also lessen red tape, further simplify payment systems through increased investment in information technology, to guarantee improved service delivery.
