By Franklin Alli
The Federal Government is making a move to ensure that Nigerians get value for their money by introducing “Weights and Measures” across all the sectors of the economy.
The phrase weights and measures imply selling of goods by weight or measures such as volume and length and it is backed with a range of rules. These rules are designed to help customers understand how much they are buying and to ensure they receive the amount of goods they are entitled to.
Trade and Investment Minister, Olusegun Aganga, who disclosed this during questions/answers session at a public forum in Lagos, said that this move will also checkmate corruption in both public and private sector of the economy, stressing: “It will first be introduced in the oil and gas industry.”
He said that the clamour for best practices in all human endeavours and the desire to have accurate and effective service delivery informed the decision of the federal government to include issues of weights and measures in one of its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) known as Weights and Measures Division.
Minister of Trade & Investment, Olusegun Aganga
Accordingly, he said that the federal government has approved the request of the Ministry of Trade and Investment to upgrade the division hitherto known as Department of Trade to a full fledge Department of Weights and Measures to enable it administer Weights and Measures in the country.
He explained that the Department is empowered by Weights and Measures Act CAP W3LFN, 2004 (Formally weights & Measures Act CAP 467LFN 1999); Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Act CAP P25 LFN, 2004; Weights and Measures Standardization of Indigenous Measures Regulations, 1992; and the Weights and Measures Fees Regulations.
“These laws empower the department to certify and check the compliance of all measuring and weighing equipment in all sectors of the economy, including oil and gas which includes creating uniformity in measurement of products in the market in collaboration with state Ministries of Commerce and Industry; Inspection of factories for compliance and accuracy of their measurement as well as inspection of petrol retail for accurate dispensing of petrol, diesel and kerosene at the pumps and inspection of measuring equipment at oil and gas sector of the economy. (Both upstream and downstream),” he said.
He also said that the department is charged with the care and custody of Nigeria’s Primary Standards of Kilograms (KG) and Metre (M); verification of pre-packaged goods such as bottles of soft drinks, bags of cement and flour; issuance of type/pattern approval in respect of weighing and measuring instruments manufactured locally and imported; prescribes necessary standards for design and manufacture of indigenous measures used for the measurement of grains and liquids; verification of the accuracy of telecommunications timers and electricity meters; calibrating of weighing and measuring instruments on request by companies, individuals and government organizations and enforcement of the Pre-Shipment inspection of Export Act to ensure that the quantity of crude exported out of the country is accurately known.
Source: VANGUARD NIGERIA