The federal government says it verified about 500,000 weighing and measuring instruments nationwide in 2025, with 10 per cent failing prescribed standards.

Salim Mohammed, Director of the Weights and Measures Department, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this in an exclusive interview on Thursday in Lagos.

He said the failed instruments attracted sanctions, adding that the department maintained extensive inspection records.

Mr Mohammed, however, said the department could not immediately provide the cumulative number of companies sanctioned since its establishment.

He said the department was reviewing existing regulations to introduce higher fines and penalties for violations of weights and measures standards.

According to him, the existing law, which dates back to independence, prescribes inadequate penalties that no longer effectively deter dishonest practices.

The director also said the department was seeking semi-independent agency status to strengthen regulatory enforcement and expand consumer protection nationwide.

Mr Mohammed said the proposal followed recommendations from development partners, the National Assembly and other stakeholders to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve service delivery.

He said transforming the department into an agency or merging it with an existing sister agency would expand its nationwide operations.

Mr Mohammed said the department collaborated with sister agencies, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, on regulatory matters.

On consumer protection, he said the department inspected and verified measuring instruments used in petroleum retail outlets, water supply services and commercial transactions.

He explained that inaccurate measuring equipment could short-change consumers and affect businesses by delivering quantities below what customers paid for.

Mr Mohammed cited an instance involving a rice outlet where inspectors discovered that bags labelled 50 kilogrammes contained less than the stated quantity.

The director urged consumers to check for verification stickers on measuring equipment, particularly petroleum dispensing pumps, before purchasing products.

Mr Mohammed identified inadequate funding, insufficient personnel and limited operational vehicles as major challenges affecting nationwide monitoring and enforcement.

He said the department had offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory but lacked sufficient inspectors to cover businesses effectively.

He said the department had also requested approval to recruit and train additional personnel to improve its nationwide coverage.

On digitalisation, Mr Mohammed said the department had automated approximately 65 per cent of its operations, with plans to increase this to between 90 and 100 per cent.

He said the initiative would enable consumers to submit complaints through a mobile application for the headquarters in Abuja to direct relevant state offices to respond.

Mr Mohammed identified completing the digitalisation process and securing agency status as major priorities for the department in 2027.

(NAN)