FG urges businesses to comply with measurement laws

The Federal Government has urged businesses to comply with measurement laws to curb short-measuring, protect consumers, and promote fair trade.

Dr Salim Mohammed, Director, Weights and Measures Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting provided a platform for the department and industry stakeholders to engage on accurate measurement practices.

Mohammed said accurate measurement was essential to protecting businesses, consumers and the economy, warning that even minor discrepancies could result in significant financial losses.

Using weighbridges as an example, he explained that a 50-kilogram measurement error per truck could translate into substantial annual losses.

He said a weighbridge handling 100 trucks daily could record discrepancies totalling 1,500 tonnes annually, based on 300 operating days.

The director noted that similar discrepancies in oil and gas metering systems could cause substantial losses through inaccurate measurement of petroleum products.

He described the verification of weighing and measuring instruments as an investment in business protection rather than an additional financial burden.

Mohammed said the Weights and Measures Act, Cap W3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, empowered the department to verify instruments used for trade nationwide.

He stressed that the mandate covered both oil and gas and non-oil sectors, adding that no industry was exempt.

According to him, the department will collaborate with relevant sector regulators while retaining its statutory responsibility for measurement verification.

He also announced plans to strengthen competence certification for personnel responsible for installing, operating, repairing and calibrating weighing and measuring instruments.

He urged companies to present their personnel for certification, saying trained operators would improve measurement accuracy and reduce disputes.

Mohammed warned manufacturers and packers against producing pre-packaged goods in quantities outside those prescribed by the Act’s Eighth Schedule without valid waivers.

He advised affected businesses to obtain waivers through the department before production to avoid product confiscation and other legal consequences.

The director said the department would prioritise sensitisation and voluntary compliance while enforcing the law where necessary.

He urged businesses to familiarise themselves with the Act, verify their instruments, certify relevant personnel and obtain necessary waivers.

Earlier, Mrs Cordelia Nwachukwu, Lagos State Zonal Coordinator of the department, said the meeting was organised to strengthen engagement with industry stakeholders.

She said accurate measurement was essential for fair trade, consumer protection and sustainable industrial development.

Nwachukwu called for constructive discussions and stronger cooperation between the department and businesses to improve measurement practices across the value chain.

Also speaking, Mr Samson Okoh, Mainland Ijora State Coordinator of the department, described weights and measures regulation as an established government responsibility.

Okoh said the department’s responsibilities had evolved alongside technological developments, with weights and measures increasingly recognised internationally as legal metrology.

He explained that legal metrology involved applying laws and regulations to measurement activities, particularly those relating to trade.

He also highlighted the federal nature of weights and measures regulation, explaining that its constitutional status placed the responsibility within the Federal Government’s jurisdiction.

Okoh said manufacturers packaging petroleum products and other goods in non-standard quantities were required to obtain necessary waivers from the ministry.

He explained that existing certificates did not automatically cover newly introduced packaging quantities, requiring fresh waivers for sizes outside approved standards.

For instance, he said a manufacturer producing a product in 75cl but intending to introduce a one-litre variant must apply for a fresh waiver.

Okoh said the department had identified manufacturers packaging lubricants and other products in quantities that did not conform with approved measurement standards.

He added that enforcement actions had been taken against some affected products, urging manufacturers to consult the department before introducing new packaging sizes.

A stakeholder, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said short-measuring remained a concern in the Nigerian marketplace, although its prevalence varied across sectors.

The stakeholder identified inaccurate weighing scales, tampered measuring instruments, under-filled packaged products and inaccurate fuel dispensing as forms of measurement irregularities.

The stakeholder said many consumers lacked the means to verify purchased quantities, making it difficult to detect when they were being shortchanged.

The stakeholder called for regular, unannounced inspections of markets, supermarkets, manufacturing facilities and petroleum retail outlets to strengthen compliance with measurement standards.

The stakeholder also urged the department to invest in modern measurement equipment and digital monitoring systems to improve accuracy and prevent instrument manipulation.

The stakeholder called for consistent sanctions against offenders and public awareness campaigns to educate consumers about their rights and reporting suspected measurement fraud,