NAN-HE-27

Regulation

Lagos, March 16, 2017 (NAN) Mr Chucks Omeife, a former President of  Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB),  has called on Federal Government to establish a body to regulate the construction industry.

Omeife made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

He said that it was unfortunate that Nigeria had become a “dumping ground” for sub-standard building materials.

According to him, the use of sub-standard materials for construction is a major cause of construction failure and building collapse.

He, therefore, urged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria to set up an in-house unit that would monitor and evaluate the quality of materials being used for construction.

“If we have a subsector that has to do with physical planning, physical environment like they do in most developed countries, the industry will do better.

“The problem is that we do not have standards; Nigeria has become a dumping ground and it is source of worry for professionals and those who are stakeholders.

“We cannot allow it to continue.

“The solution lies in having a construction industry board that will champion everything that has to do with the construction industry in Nigeria. And government must be the catalyst,” he said.

Omeife said that Nigeria could benefit massively from proper regulation of physical planning and environmental aspects of the industry.

He said that the performance of the  construction industry had become a source of worry in this country.

“The construction sector adds to the gross domestic product of any nation, but in Nigeria we have quite a lot of shoddy, inferior materials being brought in; there is no control.

“And these are part of the factors that obstruct growth and performance of the industry.

“The Standard Organisation of Nigeria, as a general organisation that is not specialised in one aspect of the economy, can help to checkmate the menance,” he added. (NAN)

LUC/OFN/Tajudeen Atitebi

Edited by Felix Nwadioha.Tajudeen Atitebi