By Lucy Ogalue
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has reiterated the need for a comprehensive approach to curb the recurring menace of building collapse in Nigeria.
The Director-General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, in a statement by his Director of Public Relations, Mrs Foluso Bolaji, said this would prevent the recurring obnoxious incidents of building collapse in the country.
The director-general said it would also ensure the safety and integrity of structures across the nation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okeke made the assertion due to the myriad of building collapses recorded across the country recently.
NAN also recalls that the incidents had unfortunately resulted in the massive loss of lives and the wanton destruction of properties.
Okeke, therefore, urged compliance to Specifications and Codes of Practice in the standards by regulators and service providers in the sector.
According to the director-general, this will help in reinstating the eroding confidence of Nigerians in the Nigerian building industry.
He said investigations by SON revealed that poor structural designs, quackery, unprofessionalism and inadequate or lack of soil testing were some of the causes of building collapse in Nigeria.
Okeke listed other causes to include poor construction practices and procedures, unapproved construction, wrong demolition process, lack of maintenance, negligence, use of substandard materials and poor drainage.
He said SON had produced 168 Standards and Codes of Practice for the building and construction industry since 2004 for contractors to implement during construction.
Okeke said the standards are: Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 117: 2004 Specification for Steel Bars for the Reinforcement of Concrete and Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 499: 2004 Standard for Iron and Steel,
He said others include: Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 588: 2007 Testing Hardened Concrete Part 1:Method for Determination of the Compressive Strength of Concrete Cores.
They also include: Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 585: 2007 Standard for Concrete Admixtures – Part 1 – Specification for Accelerating Admixtures.
” We have the Retarding Admixtures and Water Reducing Admixtures, Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) 156:1982 Standard Method for Testing Fresh Concrete and Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) ISO 41001:2020 Facility Management System Standard amongst others,” Okeke said.
The director-general said the organisation established regulatory powers in its SON Act to regulate locally manufactured products through its Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP).
Okeke said it also established a pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards for imported goods through the SON Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).
“We also established the Product Authentication Mark (PAM) which gives the Consumer the powers to verify the authenticity of a product before purchase.
“Other initiatives taken is the setting up of the SON’s task force Special Intervention to Standardise Steel Reinforcement Bars of where stakeholders in the sector are engaged.
“And a full-scale nationwide enforcement in factories and marketplaces was undertaken and as a result culpable dealers were sanctioned in line with the provisions of the SON Act No.14 2015,” he said.
Okeke assured the public of SON’s commitment to provide a safe environment through standardisation and quality assurance as well as its resolve to continue to collaborate with other sector regulators to ensure standards. (NAN)