The Director General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON Mr Ifeanyi Okeke has called on stakeholders in the construction sector to be committed to using approved materials and adhere strictly to standards.
Mr Okeke made the call at a One-day Stakeholders Forum on the Building Industry in Nigeria organised by SON in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said despite many sensitization and awareness campaigns carried out by SON over the years, many industry stakeholders and practitioners still lack awareness of the standards required for safe, durable and sustainable buildings.
According to him, “This knowledge gap exists not only among construction workers but also among suppliers and building professionals, training and education are essential to bring everyone up to par with international best practices, but that may not be all there is.”
Mr Okeke revealed that SON has a mandate to develop, approve and enforce standards across all sectors, including the building and construction industry.
“As we confront the challenges in this sector, SON is dedicated to promoting safe practices, ensuring quality and supporting sustainable development through several other initiatives.
“We have adopted a proactive approach, ensuring that these standards are not only up to date but also responsive to the latest industry trends, technologies and best international practices to improve the quality of materials and reduce substandard products.”
‘SON cannot achieve these goals all alone, we are committed to working with other government agencies, professional associations, industry leaders and international partners to evolve a cohesive approach to tackling quality and safety issues.” The Director General explained.
Standardisation
President, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Professor Sadiq Abubakar who commended the effort of SON said there is the need to do more in terms of standardisation in the country.
He said “Adherence to standard practice therefore requires a robust monitoring framework, effective regulation and diligent enforcement where necessary.”
Professor Abubakar spoke about steps the COREN as taken towards ensuring adherence to Standard practice.
“COREN has been restructured with the Engineering Regulation, Mentoring and Enforcement (ERM&E) now existing as a full department. Under this Department, the Council Committee on Engineering Regulation, Monitoring and Enforcement was reconstituted and unbundled into eleven (11) sectors to monitor and ensure adherence to standard practice in various sub-sectors including Agro-Allied, Aviation/Aerospace, Construction/Building, Maritime, Mining, Oil and Gas, Power, Transportation, Communications, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering.”
“Seven (7) regional Offices and regional steering committees have been established in each region. Most importantly, eleven committees on codes and standards to cover the eleven (11) sectors of the corresponding ERME committees have been established.” He added.
Olusola Akintonde
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