FG to partner with stakeholders in construction industry to enhance quality
NAN-H-99
Benchmark
By Emmanuella Anokam
Abuja, April 20, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Government on Thursday expressed its determination to partner with stakeholders in the construction industry to enhance the quality of construction and reduce incidences of building collapse.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing said this at the 15th Induction and Investiture of Newly Registered Builders by the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) in Abuja.
The minister said that government was also prepared to ensure the enactment of enabling legislation on the National Building Code for full implementation.
He urged the CORBON to develop effective benchmark for Project Quality Management Plan for building construction, saying that the benchmark would ensure proper application of project quality in the country.
According to him, it is sad to know that cases of shoddy works and defective buildings still traverse the landscape in the country and this has become a plague agitating the minds of Nigerians.
“In worst case scenarios, these have led to the collapse of buildings, loss of lives and investments.
“It must be admitted that building collapse is not limited to Nigeria alone or to developing economies, but the scope and frequency of the Menace in our country has reached quite embarrassing proportions.
“In point of fact, building failure and collapse are clear manifestation of the failing of the design and construction processes.
“The onus, therefore, is on the critical stakeholders to undertake a conscientious overhaul of the present system which has allowed these shortcomings to breed,” he said.
Fashola commended the council for its contributions in the quest to achieve sanity in Nigeria’s construction industry, with particular reference to its contributions to the formulation of the National Building Code.
Also, Prof. Bala Kabir, Chairman of CORBON noted that the sector had, over the years, been bedevilled by poor quality project delivery and incessant building collapses that had claimed many lives with huge economic losses.
He said these had often been attributed to quackery in the industry on the one hand and the dearth of registered builders on the other.
Kabir said that the inductees had met CORBON’s basic requirements for registration and licensing, training at tertiary level, industry tutelage and success at professional examination.
He also said that the councils’ induction aimed to disenfranchise quacks from carrying out illegal activities in the industry and urged the inductees to ensure good quality project delivery at all times.
The inductees, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), called on government to put in place a national policy that would enhance the building sector.
Mr Abe Olugbemiga urged government to endeavour to engage professional builders in building projects because they were liable to be sanctioned, instead of quacks.
Mr Emmanuel Ibegbu, another inductee, also urged government to put in place a policy that would tackle sharp practices and malpractices to avert building collapse.
NAN reports that 106 new builders were inducted by CORBON. (NAN)
ELLA/HAS/AFA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Felix Ajide