Concerns trail FG move to concession trade ministry weights and measures department ‘

By Abubakar Yunusa

Stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to exercise caution over the proposed concession of the Weights and Measures Department under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, warning that the move could undermine regulatory integrity and consumer protection.

The Weights and Measures Department is responsible for ensuring fairness and accuracy in commercial transactions involving weights, measures, and measuring instruments across Nigeria. Its mandate is to guarantee that consumers and businesses receive the correct value in trade dealings.

Established under Item 65 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and operating pursuant to the Weights and Measures Act, Cap W3, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the department serves as a key regulatory safeguard in the country’s commercial system.

With operational offices in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and over 450 certified inspectors, the department verifies and certifies measuring instruments used in markets, fuel stations, industries, and other commercial sectors.

Nigeria’s system is also linked to global standards through affiliations with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), both headquartered in Paris.

However, moves by the government to concession the department’s functions to a private firm registered in Nigeria have raised concerns among stakeholders and staff.

Some officials within the department cautioned against the plan, raising questions about transparency, the technical capacity of the proposed concessionaire, the fate of certified inspectors, and the potential implications for consumer protection.

The officials, who preferred not to be named for fear of being victimised, said transferring the functions of a constitutionally backed regulatory body to a private entity could raise legal and constitutional issues.

A retired Director of Weights and Measures Department, Engr. Sidi Mohammed, warned that regulatory departments with oversight responsibilities should be handled with extreme caution.

According to him, regulatory bodies such as the ministry’s Weights and Measures Department exist primarily to protect the public and ensure market fairness rather than to generate revenue.

He said global practice shows that concessions are typically applied to capital-intensive infrastructure such as roads, ports, and power generation, while governments usually retain regulatory oversight functions to preserve impartiality and public confidence.

He suggested that instead of concessioning the department, the government should strengthen its institutional capacity by providing operational equipment, improving funding, and granting it greater autonomy.

He pointed to the Nigeria Weights and Measures Regulatory Agency Establishment Bill, which has been passed by the National Assembly and is awaiting presidential assent, as a more sustainable reform pathway.

He added that until the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is amended to accommodate concession, the regulatory functions of Weights and Measures Department can’t be handed over to private individuals through concession.