The Federal Government has announced plans to launch a nationwide surveillance campaign to curb the use of inaccurate measurements in markets, filling stations, supermarkets and other commercial outlets.
Dr Salim Mohammed, Director of the Weights and Measures Department (WMD) of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Mohammed said the department would collaborate with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Metrology Institute of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (NMI-SON) to implement the campaign.
“No buyer should be cheated, and no seller should be cheated. Accurate measurement is the baseline of trust and confidence in trade,” he said.
He explained that the campaign, themed “Full Measure, Fair Trade”, was particularly important amid prevailing economic hardship.
“In a period of economic hardship, every short litre and every short kilogram is a direct tax on the poorest households,” he said.
According to him, enforcement operations would include announced verification exercises, unannounced spot checks, mystery-shopper test purchases and joint enforcement operations.
He added that the results would be made public, with repeat offenders named.
The campaign, he said, would cover several sectors, including petroleum, open markets, supermarkets, pharmaceuticals, aviation, agriculture and export terminals.
Mohammed reminded traders that only metric units were legally recognised for trade, adding that indigenous measures such as mudu, derica and kongo were not permitted unless their production methods had been approved by the department.
He also commended Dangote Cement Plc for supporting efforts to improve measurement standards, noting that 58 technical personnel were undergoing training at the company’s Ibese Plant in Ogun State towards weighbridge competency certification.
According to him, the training would equip participants with the necessary knowledge of metrology, the science of measurement, and help organisations prevent revenue losses arising from inaccurate weighing systems.
“Staff were exposed to the basic ecosystem of measurement (metrology). Cost benefit of this training is unimaginable.
“It is a strategic plan for blocking of revenue leakages in an organisation.
“Compliance is not a cost imposed by government but a commitment to fairness with customers, hauliers and the public,” he said.
Mohammed added that the department would engage state governments, market associations and the organised private sector to ensure that awareness preceded enforcement.
He said the Weights and Measures Department had offices in 38 states and the Federal Capital Territory, seven zonal offices and its headquarters in Abuja.
