Only 10 Ogun industries certified to mould blocks – SON

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said only 10 industries have been duly certified to mould blocks in Ogun State. Whereas, there are more than 2,000 block-making industries spread across the state, according to the SON. The Coordinator of SON, Ogun State office I, Engr Jerome Otene Umoru disclosed this on Thursday in Abeokuta, […]

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has said only 10 industries have been duly certified to mould blocks in Ogun State.

Whereas, there are more than 2,000 block-making industries spread across the state, according to the SON.

The Coordinator of SON, Ogun State office I, Engr Jerome Otene Umoru disclosed this on Thursday in Abeokuta, the state capital, during a one-day seminar organised for the block makers in the state.

Umoru said despite the huge number of block makers in the state, only about ten have the Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate of the SON to mould blocks.

Umoru said: “We have registered about 2,000 block moulders. Some of them come to our office to ask for MANCAP certificates or applications or to ask for standards. This is the right time to interprete the standards for them.

“In the whole of Ogun State, those who are certified are not up to 10. That shows the gravity of what we are talking about.”

The Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim in his remarks urged stakeholders in the building sector to ensure that “quality materials are produced, the right quality and quantity of materials are applied and qualified professionals are engaged.”

Salim who was represented by the Director, South West Region, Ms Yeside Akinlabi said this would minimise building collapse and sustains the economy.

He said: “Blocks as a component of building needs to be put under check and ensure it meets the quality requirements so as to reduce the continuous reports of collapsed buildings most especially in major cities in Nigeria.”

The State Secretary General of the Block Makers Association, Shogunle Kehinde admitted that huge numbers of block makers are illiterates, hence the need for training and retraining.