Manny Ita –
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has come under intense fire from the Iron Rod and Steel Dealers Employers Union of Nigeria (IRSDEUN), which has accused the regulatory body of systemic failure and complicity in the proliferation of substandard building materials. In a sternly worded statement issued this week, the Union’s National President, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, alleged that some manufacturers are operating a “dual production” system, where high-quality iron rods are manufactured specifically for export to neighboring West African countries, while dangerous, “discounted” materials are flooded into the Nigerian domestic market. Awoyale characterized this practice as exposing a “cruel reality” where manufacturers possess the technical capacity to meet international standards but deliberately choose to compromise the safety of Nigerian consumers to maximize local profits.
The Union has specifically called for the immediate removal of the head of SON in Lagos State, alleging that enforcement efforts in Nigeria’s industrial hub have been deeply compromised by internal collusion. According to the IRSDEUN, there have been “credible instances” where discreet oversight visits planned by the agency’s Abuja headquarters were leaked to manufacturers in advance, allowing them to temporarily halt production and conceal non-compliant practices before inspectors arrived. “This conduct, if left unaddressed, explains why enforcement exercises yield little result while substandard iron rods remain readily available in the market,” Awoyale stated, describing the persistent circulation of these materials as one of the “gravest threats to public safety” and a direct contributor to the recurring tragedy of building collapses across the federation.
The allegations follow a broader legislative probe by the House of Representatives into reports that SON recently reversed a decision to shut down 18 companies implicated in the distribution of substandard building materials. Lawmakers have expressed concern that pressure from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment may have influenced the agency’s retreat from enforcement. While SON has previously defended its record, claiming that some distributors are responsible for the circulation of fake products, the IRSDEUN has dismissed these explanations as “deeply flawed and misleading.” The Union is now urging the National Assembly to assert its oversight authority to restructure the agency, insisting that “these tragedies are not acts of fate; they are the outcomes of systemic regulatory failure and deliberate compromise.”
