Builders lament governments’ neglect, urge professionals’ collaboration

Concerned about the prosperity of the profession, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), has expressed regrets that despite its unique roles in the society, governments remained hesitant towards providing the enabling environment to freely discharge their professional responsibilities.

NIOB President, Kenneth Nduka expressed this position at the opening of 2017 Builders’ Conference/Annual General Meeting entitled; “Regulatory Authorities: Panacea for Building Project Delivery in Lagos State” organized by the Lagos State Chapter of NIOB.
 
He said government has failed to effectively regulate the activities of the industry during construction, rather it concentrate on pre and post construction activities, which constitutes a huge pain to the group.

Bldr. Kenneth Nduka
 NIOB President

According to him, the ever changing technological, economical, legal and environmental scenarios have precipitated the urgent need to situate building profession as a unique specialization that would rightly address the basic needs satisfying expectations of man is such areas as convenience affordability, structural integrity, functionality and economics.

Speaking at the occasion, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Abiola Anifowose stressed the need for the seven professional bodies within the real estate sector to come together and deliberate on ways to map out lasting solution to problems confronting the profession in Nigeria.

Expressing the State Chapter position, the Chairman, Mrs. Adenike Said’ observed that it was born out of the chapter commitment to creating awareness on the role of builders in the construction industry and regulatory agencies in project delivery in the state, hence the selection of the theme to educate developers on the distinct role of different agencies that monitors building construction with lamentation of double deal.

Expanding the theme with a panel of discussant which featured the General Manger of Lagos State Safety Commission; Hakeem Dickson, the General Manger of LASPPA; Osifuye Olufunmilayo, General Manager of LABSCA; Shodeinde Nurudeen, and a Professor of building at the University of Lagos; Martins Dada, they called for collaboration rather than competition among the regulatory bodies in the built environment in Lagos State.

Specifically, Prof. Martins Dada stressed the need for the setting up of a Joint Action Board for all professionals in the built environment to stimulate as well as harmonize thinking process and do it right in the industry.

“There should be health and safety plan for every building. Prevention of building collapse starts from the building foundation, the kinds of water used in mixing building materials, the type of cement amongst others. We must get all these right. Enforcement is expensive; there is the need for voluntary compliance for those concerned. One way or the other building owners in Lagos have flouted the regulatory rules and we can say 80 per cent of buildings in the state are illegal”.

Reference: https://guardian.ng/property/builders-lament-governments-neglect-urge-professionals-collaboration/