The Oyo State Government has announced plans to strengthen its partnership with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to tackle the growing menace of substandard steel and iron rods in the market.

The state’s Commissioner for Investment, Trade, Cooperatives and Industry, Adeniyi Adebisi, disclosed this while receiving a SON delegation led by Mr. Manji Pius, Special Assistant to the Director General on Strategic Support, at his office in the state secretariat, Ibadan.

Adebisi said the collaboration would promote public safety, quality assurance, and sustainable industrial development, aligning with Governor Seyi Makinde’s drive to enforce building and engineering standards.

“We appreciate SON’s efforts in safeguarding lives and restoring confidence in our industries. The ministry is ready to partner with you to ensure substandard products are eradicated from our markets,” he stated.

He also urged SON to consider Oyo State as the site for its proposed laboratory complex, citing the state’s industrial potential and growing status as a manufacturing hub in the Southwest.

The commissioner noted that “Made-in-Oyo” products had gained both national and international recognition, particularly at trade exhibitions like the 2025 Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) in Algiers, Algeria, where Oyo-made goods attracted significant foreign attention.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olajide Okesade, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting SON’s regulatory mandate, revealing plans to set up a joint technical committee for quality monitoring and public sensitisation.

In his remarks, Mr. Pius said the visit aimed to seek the state government’s support in curbing the circulation of low-quality steel materials, which have been linked to the rising cases of building collapses nationwide.

He added that SON’s nationwide campaign was focused on eliminating substandard iron rods and strengthening compliance with product standards across the construction sector.