To check the incidence of building collapse, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has begun an investigation into steel-reported sharp practices, compromises, and safety concerns involving some manufacturing companies.

Addressing journalists in the course of an investigation exercise at some steel manufacturing firms in Ogun State, at the weekend, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, outlined the commission’s efforts to sample and scrutinise records and products over alleged manufacturing of substandard iron rods and other anti-competition practices.

He explained the rationale behind the move, highlighting the discrepancy between advertised and actual product specifications, which has been linked to numerous building collapses in the country.The ongoing investigative efforts include spot checks and continuous surveillance to identify and rectify market distortions.

Abdullahi described the activities of some of the manufacturing companies as false, misleading, deceptive, and unfair market practices after receiving complaints from the market survey.

“You go into the market to buy an iron rod of 12mm, for instance. But when they produce, what you get is 10mm and not 12mm. This is the main reason that leads to all these building collapses that we have in the country. We are talking about the safety of our people, which is an essence of consumer protection,” he explained.

Abdullahi, who said that the investigation involves major players in the industry, assured that the selection process was not arbitrary, but based on companies’ market presence and scale of operations.

He said the investigation is in collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), with professional input from the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to guide the process and ensure compliance with production standards and fairness.

Abdullahi clarified that the exercise is to be thorough and time-consuming, as forensic experts would analyze substantial amounts of data and scrutinise information to ensure accurate findings.

“We have to look at their processes and find out if they are cutting corners. If they are, we will apply the full sanctions as prescribed by the law. We are guided by our Act, which is very clear about sanctions. If you withhold information, the sanction is different from if you are found liable for any offence,” he added.

Abdullahi assured that the commission’s goal is to conclude the investigation promptly, given the urgency of addressing the safety concerns associated with substandard construction materials.