SON warns traders against dangers of substandard materials

•Reiterates threats to lives and properties

As part of its sensitisation drive to ensure only approved products are sold in the nation’s markets, the Director General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Osita Aboloma, has urged building material dealers to shun practices that could lead to national catastrophes and loss of lives and properties.

Aboloma, who made the call in Abuja, at a one-day sensitisation programme held at the International building Materials Market at Dei-dei, in the metropolis, said quality compliance increases businesses and trading even as it also guarantees sustained patronage as well as end-user satisfaction.

He used the occasion to task all building materials businesses in the supply chain to comply with Standards and Quality assurance requirements, so as not to endanger lives and incur avoidable economic losses.

Represented by the Assistant Director, Operations, Abba Bauchi, the SON boss said: “the supplier and the receiver in sales transactions are equally important. I challenge you as an association of building materials dealers to pay greater attention to the issues of quality, certification and delivery note as a means of checkmating the influx of fake and substandard products into the market.”

Also speaking, the Head, Construction Management, SON, Adisa Kareem, harped on the need for dealers to avoid being stuck on substandard products. He advised them to always check goods from their suppliers to forestall incidences of shortage in size, length or width as the case may be.

He admonished the dealers to report cases of short measures and the likes to SON for appropriate action, and urged them to patronise only manufacturers or importers with identifiable locations to ensure traceability.

According to him, there is a need more than ever for Nigerians to conform to Standards as the revised SON Act 14 of 2015 has stipulated stringent penalties against erring manufacturers, importers and dealers in substandard products and their collaborators. He added that ignorance of the law will not be an excuse on issues of substandard products and services.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Market Association of Dei-Dei Building Materials Abuja, Onah Raphael, thanked SON for the sensitisation forum which, according to him, will go a long way in complementing the efforts by the leadership of the market to rid the environment of substandard products.
Onah alluded to the association’s efforts at self-regulation amongst its members by checking shops periodically for substandard products and other unwholesome practices.

He however appealed to SON to look into the cases of some materials bought by dealers in the market that have issues with measurement and calibration inaccuracies that are pending against some manufacturers in the country.The programme was attended by about 400 members of the Building Materials Dealers Association.