1 week ago
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By Maduka Nweke
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is set to diligently prosecute manufacturers and distributors of substandard steel products in the country.
This was declared by the Chairman, Special Task Force, SON, Mr Enebi Onuchenyo, recently in Abuja.
Onuchenyo stated that the agency has been inundated with complaints from distributors over the poor quality of steel and iron rods in the country.
According to him, “There are claims of substandard iron rods in the market. This was why we embarked on aggressive nationwide monitoring and got useful information which helped us track some of those behind this unscrupulous act.”
He continued, **“Two steel companies were found non-compliant with the requirements of the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS 117) and global best practices. The two were shut down, and their products were put on hold.
“After due diligence and investigation, the products were subjected to tests, and they failed in some basic parameters.
“We moved swiftly to ensure that the products found in the factory were cut to sizes and remelted under our watchful supervision. This will prevent the products from going into circulation,”** he said.
Onuchenyo warned that any steel manufacturer caught circumventing quality assurance requirements henceforth would be prosecuted in line with the SON Act 14 of 2015.
In his words, **“We want to reiterate that compliance with quality and standards would guarantee local and international patronage of steel products manufactured in Nigeria.
“We advise steel makers not to undermine one another through the production of substandard steel reinforcement bars using the name and code of rival firms and competitors.”**
Such acts, according to him, are detrimental to unsuspecting end-users who would use the products.
He reassured the public of the agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and properties in Nigeria, which he said largely informed SON’s recent nationwide monitoring of steel production.
Onuchenyo expressed concern over the non-compliance of key stakeholders in the iron and steel industry, maintaining that the agency would stop at nothing to bring sanity to Nigeria’s steel sector.
“Any players found producing without regard to NIS 117 will not be tolerated,” he stressed.
Onuchenyo said the federal government has been working tirelessly to support local manufacturing for export to improve foreign exchange earnings, assuring manufacturers of SON’s diligence and determination to protect genuine local producers from unfair competition.
He disclosed that steps were underway to harmonise standards for steel production across West Africa, stressing that this would enable steel manufacturers to produce and export to different countries within the region.
The SON task force chief urged steel manufacturers to imbibe the culture of self-regulation and monitoring, saying it would help prevent standards infractions.
In his words, “It has been done in other sectors, and this would go a long way in eliminating faking and the production of substandard steel products. It will also increase collaboration among stakeholders and regulators, as well as boost consumer confidence.”
He added, “I urge you to be quality vanguards. If you see something unwholesome, say something to SON.”
Onuchenyo urged Nigerians to report manufacturers found producing substandard products to the organisation.
He also disclosed, “We have embarked on aggressive sensitisation to educate consumers on the basic parameters of steel products.”
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