International Journal of Advanced Engineering and Technology

Authors
Charles Chikwendu Okpala, Christopher Chukwutoo Ihueze, Benedict Iwebunankiti Onah

Abstract
Defined as a proactive approach of scrutinizing a company’s products and services to ensure that products and services consistently keeps up to high quality, the concept of Quality Assurance Scheme’s (QAS) best practices focus on the prevention of mistakes or defects during the manufacturing process. The paper examined in detail the concept of QAS, the application of its tools and techniques which is a vital component of any successful improvement process, and noted that the tools and techniques can only be beneficial for the manufacturing sector after the proper training of the employees to enable them to understand and appreciate them effectively. The QAS implementation steps were discussed in detail, before the appraisal of the Nigeria’s parlous manufacturing sector, where it was highlighted that the major challenges facing the sector include: insufficient access to credit facilities, lack of infrastructure, and insufficient demand for local products as a result of the manufacturing of low quality and defective products. It was observed that the sector contributed only 4.2% to the nation’s GDP and 4.19% in 2010, which are abysmally low when compared with agriculture contribution of 42.1%, 41.7%, and 41.4% respectively. On the need for the application of QAS in the Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, the paper concluded that it will go a long way in reviving the sector’s fortunes, minimize business risks, ensure timely release of high quality products that exceeds the customers’ expectations, generate massive employment, fight poverty, create wealth, improve the GDP, and also enhance profitability and the exportation of quality products, which will consequently improve the much desired foreign exchange earnings.