Weights and Measures Department in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has revealed that it has the capacity to generate N5 billion annually should the government put all necessary modalities in place to enhance its activities.
Director of the Department Engr Mohammed Sada Sidi who stated this in Abuja during an interactive session with Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) said the Department, which is saddled with the responsibility of verifying weight or measure instruments used for trade in Nigeria, needs at least N1 billion allocation from government and possible retention of a percentage of its generated revenue to effectively carry out its mandate.
According to him, such money will be used to procured all relevant machines and engage more personnel to achieve its capacity of generating N5 billion to the Federal Government’s coffers every year.
“Weights and Measures Department can drive itself effectively and provide all what it is required to provide and even give certain amount to Federal Government as a support.
“I had an occasion when I gave a projection of what this Department is able to generate per annum and it stood at N5 billion per annum, and I believe and I can confirm and even undertake to provide that amount per annum provided that certain provisions are to be provided for this Department,” Sidi said.
While saying that the Weights and Measures Department which is supposed to have its presence in all markets, factories, oil and gas sector, among others, is only visible in 32 states, Sidi called on government to leverage on the Department’s potentials to enhance the economy.
He said despite its present challenges, the Department was able to generate over N500 million in 2018.
“Beyond ensuring people gets value for their money, Weights and Measures through its activities is a money making venture in the country. For every weighing or measuring equipment verify by a qualified or certified Weights and Measures officer there must be payment of certain nominal fee which the law refers as verification fees,” he said.
Speaking further, the Weights and Measures boss called for the immediate review of the Act establishing the Department to meet up with the present demand.
He said it is no longer tenable a situation where penalty prescribed in the existing Act is N500 fine or one year prison sentence for an individual defaulter and N5,000 for a corporate body.
Sidi, however, commended the Federal Government on its recent move to boost the number of personnel in the Department with the recruitment of 160 graduates.
“I must applaud the government for recruiting 160 graduates from 2017 to date, who are engineers and scientists.
“They are currently undergoing professional training and will be posted to complement the existing workforce we have, which is not more than 200,” he said.
