The Department of Weights and Measures says it is working with relevant stakeholders to prevent the use of substandard weighing and measuring instruments for business transactions in Nigerian markets.
An Assistant Director in the department, Mr Ogbeneruemu Okerhe, stated this during his presentation at a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop, on Friday in Osogbo.
The department is under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
The workshop had, as its theme: “How Nigeria will leverage on the implementation of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Treaty and the Nigeria National Quality Policy: Weights and Measures Perspective.”
Okerhe said that the department would play important roles in AfCFTA implementation by ensuring that reliable measuring instruments were used to carry out business transactions.
He said that the quality of goods and services could be guaranteed only when accurate and reliable weighing or measuring instruments were used to carry out transactions.
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According to him, one of the aims of the workshop is to promote use of weights and measures for trading and also foster cordial business relationship between organisations and consumers of products and services.
Okerhe said that the department was created to promote uniformity of measurements for trade and quality assurance as well as to build trust for trade.
He said that one of the statutory functions of weights and measures was to prevent use of substandard weighing and measuring instruments in the country.
Okerhe noted that wrong use of weighing and measuring instruments could have adverse effects on the quality of goods and services being produced.
He said that the ministry was providing guidance to state governments for production of indigenous measures, to ensure uniformity.
The assistant director said that the department would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure accurate use of weights and measurements for economic growth.
In his remarks, Osun Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr Olabode Olanipekun, said that the state government would continue to partner with the Federal Government to ensure that accurate measures were used in the market.
Olanipekun commended the ministry for organising the workshop, stressing that it would boost economic growth in the state.
