The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory Agency has urged building materials dealers in the state to prioritise quality assurance to safeguard lives and property.

The general manager of LSMTL, Olayinka Abdul, said this in a statement issued by the agency’s director of public affairs unit, Salehu-Badejo Abimbola, on Thursday in Lagos.

Ms Abdul said this during a sensitisation campaign at the Odunlade Building Materials Dealers Market, Coker, Lagos.

Ms Abdul, who was represented by the director of the business development unit 1, Omolara Awosanya, said materials testing remained the foundation of any construction process. She said failure to test materials before use often led to structural defects and building collapses.

According to her, many building collapse cases recorded in the state are linked to the use of substandard materials.

She called on dealers to partner with regulatory agencies to ensure only tested and certified materials are sold in the market.

Ms Abdul added that the Lagos State government would not tolerate compromise on quality, stressing that buildings must pass integrity tests and obtain Certificates of Fitness.

Emenike Steven, the market leader of the Odunlade Building Materials Dealers Association, commended LSMTL for the initiative. Mr Steven said dealers play a key role in the construction value chain and must ensure that safe materials are supplied to builders.

“If we supply substandard materials, the entire building becomes unsafe. We will work with LSMTL to ensure compliance and encourage our members to sell only tested materials,” he said.

The director of research and development at LSMTL, Titilayo Lawal, said the safety of lives and property should remain a priority in the construction sector.

Ms Lawal said buildings, like human beings, require proper care, including testing of soil, water, steel and concrete.

Babajide Oyedele, LSMTL’s assistant head of the technical services department, who facilitated the forum, demonstrated how to identify substandard materials.

Mr Oyedele said the agency offers services such as concrete testing, soil testing, aggregate testing, steel reinforcement testing, asphalt pavement testing and non-destructive testing for existing structures.

He urged dealers to see materials testing as an investment in safety and business sustainability.

(NAN)