High percentage of building blocks substandard – Expert

Citing a study by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), which suggested that that only five percent of Nigerian blocks are produced (molded) to specifications, The Head of Department of Building, University of Lagos, Prof. Godwin Idoro, identified four main factors affecting block making in the country.

These are: government-related causes, design-related causes, construction-related causes and material-related cause.

According to the Don, a study by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), suggested that that only five percent of Nigerian blocks are produced (moulded) to specifications. This, he said, presupposes that 95 per cent of the sandcrete blocks in circulation or that are used for construction are substandard.

He argued that there must be development of codes and standards on sandcrete blocks by government agencies in collaboration with research institutions and professional bodies and regular training of block manufacturers on the standards.

“Governments should make it mandatory for blocks to carry the name of producers, brand name, date of manufacture and expiration like other manufactured products. Development and adoption of standard production flow chart by block producers. The issue of task force is a government responsibility and no private body can do that all alone,” Idoro said.

Similarly, stakeholders in the block moulding sub-sector of the country’s building and construction industry have called on the Federal and state governments to institute a body empowered by legislation to monitor the quality of building blocks being produced in the country. They are convinced that such effort will help prevent cases of collapsed building in the country.

The consensus was made last week at a workshop organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) Igando-Ikotun Cell, Lagos. The theme of the workshop was: “Economic Recession and Inflation: Sustainable quality in the production of Sandcrete Blocks and Allied Products.”

At the workshop, the BCPG Ikotun Cell Coordinator, Mrs. Adekemi Okusaga, a quantity surveyor, said the theme was carefully selected to address one of the main challenges in the building environment.