By Olumide Adeyinka
Lagos State Government has underscored the need for block moulders to acquire knowledge of the standards and procedure of making quality sancrete blocks.
It also advised block moulders to join professional associations such as the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON) to have their activities coordinated by the regulators in the industry.
Speaking during an inspection tour to some block moulding industries in the State, the Acting General Manager of Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory, LSMTL, Engr. Olalekan Ajani said the sensitization and inspection exercise of building blocks industries across the State was to ensure quality of building materials especially sancrete blocks.
The inspection and sensitization team which was led by the Acting General Manager, Engr. Olalekan Ajani in company of members of the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria (NABMON) took a tour of block moulding industries around the Eti-osa/Ibeju-Lekki axis.
The General Manager stated that sancrete block is arguably the most important building material as it is a load bearing material and therefore must be produced with quality components, comprising water, sharp sand, cement and granite dust in the right proportion.
“We are continuing our inspection and sensitization tour to block moulding industries on the importance of quality sancrete blocks towards zero tolerance for building collapse in Lagos. We are telling them that block moulding is knowledge-based and technology-driven.
“We are also sensitizing the public on where to go and how to know a good sancrete block. Very soon, those blocks that are not of good quality and that does not meet specified standard will be fetched out and blacklisted,” he said.
Ajani advised the leadership of NABMON to be united in maintaining Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s SON standard such that unprofessional practitioners in the industry could be easily identified and sent out of business.
According to the Acting General Manager, the Lagos State Government is willing to recommend block moulders who have passed the quality test to buyers for patronage.
He also advised buyers of moulded blocks to always insist to see recently approved quality assurance certificate from block moulders before purchasing sancrete blocks,
“Insist on quality instead of affordability in order to ensure longevity of your building property because on the long run, the cost of using fake materials for building purposes is usually very devastating and far-reaching” Ajani stated.