The Lagos State Government has asked members of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON) to comply with requirements stipulated by the National Industrial Standard under the Standard Organisation of Nigeria, in order to tackle menace of building collapse.
The acting General Manager of Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) Olalekan Ajani, said this at a stakeholders’ meeting with the leadership of NABMON in the Alimosho area of the state.
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He said, “The essence of this meeting with NABMON is in line with the stance of the state government on zero tolerance for building collapse.
“We identified blocks as essential components in construction which, if not professionally moulded, could cause building collapse and others,” the acting GM said.
He listed what the agency look out for in a block to include the size, strength, as well as methodology used for the mix ratio.
Ajani said his visit to some block moulding factories in the Alimosho area had shown that efforts were being made by some block moulders to meet up with the established standard.
“So far, the degree of compliance is encouraging, but we all must make efforts to ensure that the present standard is surpassed,” he said.
The National President of NABMON, Mr Rasheed Adebowale, said the practise of hiring quarks to mould blocks must be stopped as it could not guarantee quality.
The state Chairman NABMON, Mr Rasheed Aleshinloye, urged more sensitisation so that members of the public would be enlightened on the dangers inherent in patronising unapproved block moulding factories.
