By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie
The Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB) has pledged to develop competent builders in the country.
Its President, Kunle Awobodu said it would be counterproductive for the growth of the construction industry if competent builders were not trained and engaged.
He noted a missing link between the number of buildings constructed in Nigeria as against the number of trained builders.
The NIOB chief, who spoke at his investiture in Abuja, regretted that quacks were occupying the space meant for competent builders, adding that it is only a nation that lacks a veritable building code and effective mechanism for the implementation of building regulations that can entertain such an aberration.
He observed that the major problem confronting the nations built environment is the non-understanding and appreciation of the importance of appropriate building production management.
Awobodu noted that any society that allows the construction of its buildings to become an all-comer’s affairs is bound to reap a bountiful project failure in its various manifestations.
He recalled that during the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) mobilisation against substandard construction, former President Olusegun Obasanjo identified the lack of supervision as a major cause of building collapse.
Explaining an ideal situation at a building site, Awobodu said a builder should be in charge of the building production site while the architect and engineers that designed the building at intervals to check that the construction work complies with their respective designs.
Beyond this, the daily management of the entire construction process with the integration of the resources and technological know- how, including the supervision of the artisans remains the responsibility of the builder, he said.
According to him, building construction is a delicate work that requires thorough supervision, hence, a client that leaves his or her building project in the hands of artisans without considering the supervision aspect is like shooting himself or herself in the leg.
He maintained that building construction is a huge investment that artisans should not experiment or fiddle with for selfish reasons.
for upgrading the skills of the existing and old building artisans.
He asked for the implementation of Executive Order 5, which aims at improving local content in public procurement with science, engineering and technology components, stating that it would create a path of creativity if strategic mechanism for implementation and sustainability is established.
According to him buildings are a major barometer of a nation’s physical development and the quality of buildings if not compromised adds to the nation’s investment.
On how to check substandardisation , he responded that it is for government to ensure that only licensed builders would be allowed to manage building production and construction.
He further suggested that severe punishment should be meted on individual that caused failure of building.
According to him this will serve as a deterrent to those who perceive building projects as a juicy venture rather than a risky and delicate venture that requires expertise and diligence.
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