The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to probe allegations about Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s reversal of its decision to shut down 18 companies found wanting in the production and distribution of substandard building materials, especially manufacturers of iron rods.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Edo lawmaker, Mr Billy Osawaru.
Osawaru, a member of the All Progressives Congress urged the House to ask SON to do everything possible to eliminate fake products particularly building materials from the Nigerian market and ensure only quality products find their way to markets nationwide.
Osawaru had expressed concern about the incessant occurrence of building collapse in Nigeria, a development he attributed to the use of substandard products, poor regulatory practice and poor construction processes.
Quoting statistics from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Osawaru said that Nigeria recorded 47 building collapses across 14 states in 2024, with Lagos State accounting for about 56 per cent of them through 13 incidents, followed by Abuja with 4.37 per cent having recorded six collapse incidents.
He lamented that the use of substandard materials has sent numerous lives to their early grave, adding that at least, three buildings have collapsed in different states since January 2025, leading to several deaths and casualties.
“This is a clear indication that the Standard Organization of Nigeria has not done enough to prevent further occurrences.
“Study has revealed that poor quality of materials and cheap-labour contributed about 53 per cent of building collapse in Nigeria with most of them being private residential buildings executed by indigenous companies and locals.
“SON allegedly reversed its decision to shut down 18 companies implicated in the production and distribution of substandard building materials, particularly iron rod manufacturers.
“The reversal, reportedly influenced by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has sparked criticism from different quarters, raising concern over government’s commitment to enforcing quality standards in the construction industry.
“The alleged defaulted companies responsible for production of substandard building materials especially irons hides under the weak enforcement mechanisms in Nigeria to flood the Nigerian market with inferior products while exporting products of high quality to countries where substandard materials are not tolerated,” he said.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House resolved to investigate the organisation and make useful recommendations on how to tackle the scourge of substandard building materials in the country.
Credit: punchng.com
