The Family Homes Funds Limited (FHFL) is to build 500,000 houses for the poor and fund developers.

To ensure the national housing programme adheres to regulations, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and FHFL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the training of FHFL staff members on costing and cost management of projects.

This was made known  in Abuja when NIQS leadership, led by its President, Olayemi Shonubi, visited FHFL Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Femi Adewole.

Shonubi called on the firm to adopt stamped Bills of Quantities (BoQ) from registered quantity surveyors as requirement for funding housing projects.

He said only BoQ signed by a registered quantity surveyor should be accepted from developers seeking finance from FHFL.

“Doing so will ensure that only realistic and workable estimates are provided by these developers and thus reduce time and resources wasted in evaluating such schemes that are later found to be unrealistic.”

He said the adoption of BoQ-certified quantity surveyors would enable FHFL take advantage of the competencies and core values of professional cost managers on transparency, accountability, probity and value for money in developmental projects.

Shonubi urged FHFL to assist members of the institute own  houses, particularly in states, Lagos, Kaduna, Niger, Rivers and Kano, as well as the federal capital.

He appealed that the Federal Capital Territory Capital (FCT) chapter of the institute, who  applied for land under the mass housing programme be considered.

Earlier, Adewole said he was delighted by the gesture, noting that the gesture would ensure that its projects adhere to regulations.

He said FHFL had disbursed N68 billion to fund three of its products: the Affordable Housing Fund, Help to Own and Rental Housing Fund,  to support the development of up to 500,000 Homes targeted at people on low income over the next five years.

“Towards achievement of this goal, we will work in partnership with public and private sectors developers by providing competitively priced direct financing – both debt or equity to finance projects that meet our strategic objectives,” Adewole said.

Adewole said FHFL was excited by the partnership with NIQS, assuring Nigerians of his organisation’s readiness to serve them.

The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) is saddened by incessant building collapse across the country.

In a statement, CORBON Chairman, Samson Ameh Opaluwah, said each time a building goes down, it diminishes our dignity  and embarrasses stakeholders in the sector.

Opaluwah said the council was concerned with the non-adherence to the laws and statutes governing building construction in the nation.

He lamented that the delivery of many building projects was bereft of professionalism and that defaulters were seldom sanctioned.

He said:  “The recent ones in Lagos within a week, Kano and Abuja  remind us that quackery is on the increase and must be checked immediately. CORBON is, therefore, calling on stakeholders in the built environment for a synergy towards sustainable solutions for the recurrent problem.

“There is an urgent need to develop strategies to effectively enforce existing laws that regulate the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of buildings across the country.”

He advised the public to utilise the services of builders registered according to Builders Registration, etc. Act, 2004, to manage the construction of buildings.

He also advised developers and building owners to insist that the builders manage their building projects according to CORBON regulations.

According to him, the regulations make it mandatory for every site to have a project quality management plan, project health and safety plan programme, and construction methods.

He said the mandatory documents commit the builder to adhere to the production, design and specifications at the first attempt, protection of workers and the public from hazards that may arise due to production activities, efficient management of building resources and adherence to statutory laws and codes for the development of buildings that are necessary during building construction.

Others are adherence to tests, inspections, quality certification among others, as may be required for a project.

He said to enforce the  rules, CORBON has set up the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (PEMU), which comprises inspection teams for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

On the scope of their monitoring, he said it includes evaluation  from the procurement to the execution stages of building projects.

He urged the public to cooperate with the teams during inspections.

Opaluwah further called on planning and development regulatory arms of government to sanction defaulters, as a step towards arresting the unwholesome incidences of building collapse in our country.

Former Lagos Commissioner of Physical Planning & Urban Development Dr. ldris Salako has been quoted as saying the nine storey building that collapsed at Oniru, Victoria Island, was sealed three times but, unfortunately, the developer broke the seal at every opportunity.

Another official of the government, who didn’t have permission to speak to the media, also confirmed that the collapsed building was sealed three times but the developer refused to halt construction.

He said the developer dropped names that put the officers in check when they wanted to play by the rules.

Six persons were said to have been trapped after the building collapsed at Palace Estate, Oba Idowu Oniru Street, Lagos, last week.

So far, two bodies have been recovered from the rubble, The Nation learnt.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Idris Salako, before throwing in the towel, told reporters at the scene that the building developer had been “hostile” to the agency’s officials sent to seal the site.

Read Also; Collapsed building: Oyo govt to punish culprits

Salako refused to mention the developer’s name, instead, he said the police would disclose the identity.

“We have a developer that is hostile and who contravenes the law of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning, 2019, as amended, and he did not get the necessary planning permit that will allow him to do that, he did not have the prerequisite authorisation to commence construction on the site,” he said.

“Several times, the officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency have visited this site and the attitude of the contractor has been that of hostility, he has been using his personal security to stop them from carrying out their lawful duty.

“But, the government will look at the site and investigate and we will look at the necessary thing to be done; the law is clear on what should be done and we will apply that.

“The developer has been dropping names any time our officers visit the place; we have sealed the site three times and he kept breaking the seal. Again, what were those trapped doing on-site that time?”

Also, the Permanent Secretary.  the Lagos State Emergency Agency( LASEMA ), Olufemi Osanyintolu, told reporters at the incident scene that the building was sealed on February, 18, last year.

He added that the recovered bodies had been taken to the morgue.

Southwest Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, also said so far no family member had come to claim the bodies or those trapped in the debris.

He further said he gathered that the persons trapped in the rubble slept on the third floor.

Unconfirmed reports hinted that  the developer had absconded  and possibly left the country to cool off. It was also believed that the Salako resigned as a result of this embarrassing situation and the other collapses thaenure as commissioner  with casualties

The last may not have been heard about the Fourscore Homes luxury flats on Gerald Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, which collapsed last year, killing over 50 people, including the owner of Fourscore Heights Limited, the company that initiated the project, Mr. Femi Osibona. Now, the two buildings adjacent to the collapsed edifice owned by the same firm are subjects of litigation between investors in the project and the Lagos State Government. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

When the Fourscore Homes luxury flats on 44B, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, collapsed on November 1, 2021, killing over 50 people including the owner of Fourscore Heights Limited, the project initiator, Mr. Femi Osibona, it was not immediately known who the owners were. It took the announcement of the takeover of the site and possible demolition of the other two buildings adjacent to the collapsed luxury edifice, built by the same developer, by the Lagos State Government to unmask the owners of the collapsed building.

The Nation learnt that the state government’s threat to pull down the two buildings adjacent to the collapsed one was based on the an integrity test it conducted, which favoured the action in order to prevent the loss of more lives on such grand scale. But as it turned out, the state government’s plan to demolish the two building did not go down well with investors who were said to have invested huge sums of money, in dollars, in the project.

Consequently, the investors, said to have staked N15 billion on the project, have sued the state government to seek redress. About 15 of them approached the court to recoup their investments.

The writ of summons, dated August 12, 2022, and marked Suit No LD/3962LM/22, was filed on behalf of 15 of the subscribers by A.U. Mustapha, a senior lawyer, before a Lagos State High Court.

In the suit, the defendants are the Governor of Lagos State, the Attorney-General of Lagos, the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Edge of Design Limited.

The claimants are seeking general damages of N200 million and another N50 million as the cost of filing the suit.

They are also asking the court to declare, among other things, that the agreements between Fourscore Heights Limited and each of the claimants to acquire units of flats, with agreed considerations paid, entitled the claimants to equitable rights and interests in the other two towers at 44BCD, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi.

They also want the court to hold that the first, second, third and fourth defendants were negligent in the performance of their duties by failing and/or neglecting to supervise the construction of one of the three towers; that the first, second, third and fourth defendants cannot benefit from their negligence by compulsorily, wrongfully, illegally and punitively acquiring or threatening to acquire the property at 44BCD through forfeiture and/or purported forfeiture to the Lagos State Government following the collapse of one of the towers.

They also want the court to declare that any demolition of the two other towers when independent evidence of an unfavourable non-destructive test results has not been produced will adversely affect the equitable interests of the claimants in the said properties; that the claimants’ equitable interests in the property cannot be expropriated and/or divested by the Government of Lagos State or any of its agencies. The “overt move” and the action taken and being embarked and contemplated to be embarked upon to demolish or preparing to demolish the structures of Towers 2 and 3 of the property is a flagrant violation of the caimants’ equitable interest in the aforesaid property.

The claimants are seeking an order restraining the defendants from trespassing or further trespassing, demolishing or further demolishing the properties known as Tower 2 and Tower 3 until an independent audit of the property is carried out by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

The claimants are also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from disturbing, interfering with, taking, receiving or in any way taking possession of, demolishing, divesting and/or revoking the title, disposing of all or any part of the property, landed or otherwise. The claimants have applied to the judge to grant ex-parte originating motion during the court’s annual vacation.

The Nation learnt that among the unlucky investors are big businessmen and women: A senior lawyer, Mr. Oluwemimo Adepoju Ogunde (SAN); a pastor, Mr. Adetola Odutola; Mr. Bola Odutola, Mrs. Bunmi Odutola, Mr. Ghandi Olaoye, Ms. Zahra Temitope Motomori, Mr. Adewale Folowosele, Mr. Moses Anibaba, Mrs. Margret Anibaba, Dr. Oladipo Oluyomi, Mrs. Adepeju Oluyomi and Mr. Tayo Oladapo.

There are also two companies, Kwara Business School Limited and Saikoyi Property Limited. The owners are not specified. However, the investors’ decision to drag the matter to court has elicited reactions, with observers wondering where they had been all this while.

Other questions posed by observers are: why did the investors not approach the panel of inquiry set up by the government to say all they knew about the property? Are they more interested in their money than the lives lost in the misadventure?

A reliable source close to the state government, however, said the state was studying the memorandum of claim served on the company handling the demolition of the two buildings that were left standing after the incident.

“However, it is not right for them to say that the government can’t take over the property. The law states explicitly that when a property collapses, the government automatically takes over the property,” the source said.

The source, who declined to be mentioned, added: “It’s all in the public interest and the government said so. Where were they when the Panel of Inquiry sat and took far-reaching decisions on the matter.

The government has even issued a White Paper. Were they ashamed of claiming their right? Don’t you wonder the kind of investors we are talking about? They couldn’t even ask for insurance before shelling out the huge cash they claimed to have paid the late owner of the property.”

Some of the investors said they paid the late Osibona various sums of money in dollars – $120,000, $111,111. 11, $20,000, $315,586.78 and $7,708.

The investors argued that it was the alleged negligence of government agencies that led to the collapse of the building. But a source who testified at the sitting of the Panel of Inquiry said that there was evidence that the site was sealed off by the Ministry of Physical Planning.

“The Ministry’s officials were attacked at the site. In fact, the promoter of the project was arrested. The site was reopened and the promoter was yet to show proof of all he was asked to do before the building collapsed,” the source said, adding “now, they want to put the blame on the government; that is being clever by half.”

The source, however, said: “Now that the owners or potential owners of the doomed property have shown their faces, those who lost their loved ones in the collapsed building can go after them for compensation.”

Commenting, an engineer, Sola George, said it appeared the complainants or plaintiffs invested in the building projects in the belief or hope to become owners of parts of the buildings after safe construction.

He said now that two of the three buildings were still standing and had stood for almost 10 months after a very major collapse close to them, it appears the complainants feel the standing buildings are still viable.

George, however, said it was not indicated if the complainants have done their own independent assessment of the buildings.

On the part of government, he carpeted them for not publishing a detailed professional structural engineering report to justify the demolition of the buildings.

He said: “Even if the buildings have defects, the right level of expertise should be sought anywhere in the world to determine whether such defects can be countered, contained or repaired. This is certainly a very interesting case, indeed. I believe all parties will benefit from the resolutions of the issues.”

The Lagos State Government is yet to react to calls by the subscribers for a meeting nor to the suit they instituted against it.

Adron Homes and Properties has built a smart Police Station to give Shimawa resident a sense of security.

The idea Adron Homes said, is to give Shimawa, a community bordering Lagos and Ogun State a strong security presence.

While inspecting the new station Ogun Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, praised the cutting-edge smart police station and quarters donated by Adron Homes and Properties, just as he commended the real company for their various initiatives in the community.

The police chief accompanied by the Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Ojugbele Adebola, did a general inspection of the building and other facilities put in place for police officers to be deployed to the area, the facilities include a cutting-edge smart Police Station and an elegant Officers’ quarters.

After inspecting the facilities, he commended the company’s effort and lauded its cooperation with the force.

CP Bankole, while appreciating the support of the host community for creating an enabling environment for business to thrive, which he said, would give the community the economic strength it deserves commended the Group Managing Director of Adron Homes and Properties, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking for the initiative and support towards the community.

Emmanuelking reaffirmed Adron’s commitment to collaborating with the Nigerian Police Force, he said “safety has to be everyone’s responsibility” and that “safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.”

“Every investment in security is an investment in life,” he continued, “because being conscious also means being responsible, and this is one way we as an organization believe we can demonstrate our resolve and desire to give back to society.

”As a home to several of our iconic estates, Shimawa continues to have a special place in our hearts.”

The GMD thanked the Police Force, especially, Ogun State Command for its unrelenting support in the area of security in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

The Federal Government has launched its climate change plan to tackle heatwaves, rainstorms, droughts and wildfires, among others

Minister of Environment Mohammed Abdullahi said climate change was a reality. He emphasised that Nigeria had recorded devastating floods in states like Lagos, Ogun and Oyo.

Abdullahi stated that these signals indicated that we did not have the time when it came to tackling the impacts of climate change, noting that the time for action was now.

He said said Nigerians understood that this was why, in 2017, the government signed the Paris Agreement.

Last year, he added, it updated its Nationally Determined Contributions and Climate Change Act as the first stand-alone comprehensive climate change legislation in West Africa was passed into law.

Abdullahi said: “Significantly, at COP26 in Glasgow, President Muhammadu Buhari announced Nigeria’s commitment to a 2060 net-zero target. The Energy Transition Plan being launched today is the first of its kind in Africa. It centres on energy because we recognise that the energy sector is both the largest single source of global greenhouse gas emissions and the foundation of any vibrant economy.

“Our Energy Transition Plan aims to achieve net-zero by 2060 while developing new industries, improving the quality of life of Nigerians, and creating thousands of new jobs.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Zoe New Dawn Nigeria Limited, owner of the Golf Resort, Abuja, Stephen Achema, has said buildings still collapse because of the use of fake materials.

Speaking with The Nation, Achema said one should consider the ratio of sand to water, the right requirements for cement ratio to sand and water while building, so that where one was meant to use the ratio of 10 bags of cement to a specified amount of sand and water, he would not use five.

He added: “If you do not get the right choice of materials and use the right mix, then the load-bearing capacity will be very low and cause a strain on the building. For instance, you might be required to use 10 bags of cement to 50 wheelbarrows of sharp sand, 10 wheelbarrows of stone dust, then you decide to use five bags of cement to the ratio. You will not get the right strength of the material and the moment you don’t do it up to standard, the weight will be very low and as you go up, you intend to load to that particular strength and when you load it like that, there is no way the building will not collapse.

“For us at Zoe New Dawn Nigeria, before we have you work with us much, we evaluate and confirm your certificate; you know people go to site based on experience by probably hanging around construction sites for awhile without having the technical knowledge needed. In some cases we go as far as verifying from the university that you claim to graduate from on the authenticity of your certificate and professional bodies like Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and other professional bodies before considering you for employment.”

He said it was their in-house way of curbing quackery in the sector to help eliminate quackery and curb quackery. He lamented that some developers prefer patronising roadside engineers.

“We are resolute in ensuring we investigate and go to any lengths to ensure we have the right engineers for our jobs. We do this by taking a step forward by writing to schools and the appropriate bodies that give certificates to ensure that certificates presented are genuine,” he said.

According to him, for every system there are minimum requirements. The problem with Nigeria is that we lack enforcement.

The government can decide to mandate the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) for example and other bodies in Abuja meant to enforce building regulation rules.

He maintained that developers are expected to be on site to monitor material mixtures and their proportion but some tend to neglect this.

It would be recalled that barely four days after a building collapsed in Kubwa Abuja where two bodies were pulled out of the rubbles, another three storey collapsed in Kano with people trapped in it. In these cases like most collapsed structures in Nigeria, the blame always goes to the structure, materials used and professionals used in erecting the structures.

The N1.5 billion Kwara State International Market in Gbugbu in Edu Local Government Area is about 98 per cent completed, the Project Site Engineer, Yisa Gisang, has said.

Gisang said the market was divided into three phases with the first phase completed, assuring Kwarans that the phase one would be delivered in a few days.

He said phase one has 22 lock-up shops, 10 blocks of 200 open shops, public toilets in various parts of the market, and security posts, among other facilities that have been put in place.

He explained that the construction project was executed to meet the international standard and according to specifications.

“We have executed the project properly and it is 98 per cent completed. We are still working on a few things like installation of a fire extinguisher, water reticulation, and other minor works. We want to deliver the first phase next week,” he said.

A community member, Yahman Jubril, praised the Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq for embarking on such a big project for the benefit of the community.

AbdulRazaq confirmed the first phase of the project comprises 200 open stores and 22 lock-up shops — complete with electrical fittings and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities to maintain a healthier trading environment.

He said the delivery of the project was satisfactory, adding that the next two phases would include abattoir, police station, fire station, car park, administrative office, among others.

OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports that if the Executive Order (EO) 11 is implemented by incorporating it in every contract, the nation will be the better for it. There will be less derelict buildings. But the Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB) says if its members do not act fast, they will be at the receiving end of the policy.

The objective of the Executive Order 11 in the National Public Building Maintenance Policy is to stimulate growth, create jobs and support small/medium-scale and big businesses to develop capacity for maintenance of buildings.

This provides a new range of spaces for building practitioners across value chains to deploy their services. However,  the policy may also pose a challenge to the profession.

On the Order, Lambert Obunna, an engineer, said the unhealthy competition among professionals in the built sector might affect its implementation. Though each professional body has its jobs laid out, there are still cases of conflicts among them as they accuse one another of invading their space.

Another challenge, he observed, is the attitude of civil servants, whom he accused of circumventing every policy to the detriment of the public.

Though he agreed that the Order was the first of its kind in the country with a policy framework for maintenance of national infrastructure to improve public buildings, he doubted if it would see the light of day because of negative  human interventions.

According to him, the new Order also gives the mandate to ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs) to set up maintenance departments in line.

Thus, he urged the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to establish a department of federal public assets maintenance. According to him, the policy is expected to give a facelift to some buildings like the Federal Secretariat, Lagos and Abuja, and 24 others spread across the country.

NIOB President, Prof. Yohana Daniel Izam, listing the challenges in the policy, said the number of registered builders available to implement the Order 11 across Federal buildings is grossly inadequate. This also reflects in the availability of builders in public service, who will help monitor it. He regretted the near zero absence of builders to handle maintenance at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and similar departments, units or offices at MDAs.

He raised the fear of the influx of  quacks. He noted the shortage of trained artisans in building construction as a threat.

According to him, the decline in the number of youths who are interested in and ready to enroll into skilled trade careers in construction, who will help in maintenance, is also a major area of concern in achieving the goal ahead.

He said: “The total number of registered builders available to execute the Order 11 across federal building facilities is grossly inadequate.This also reflects in the availability of builders in Public Service, who will help monitor or head the works as appropriate. We have a same problem in the maintenance or departments at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and similar Departments, Units or Offices at other Ministries, and Departments.”

He advised builders to pay attention to the quality and integrity of structures either under construction or during maintenance to preserve the sanctity of the profession.

According  to him, the Executive Order covers the maintenance of public buildings. These include government offices, court houses, hospitals, prisons, educational institutions and more. The inclusion of building types implies a broadening of the scope of facilities for maintenance with concomitant increase in opportunities for engagements of building professional practitioners.

Another challenge, he  identified, is inadequate supervision becuase of lasck of experts.

He, theerfore, called on builders to be abreast with what should be the latest training for artisans. He regretted that the policy has inadequate curriculum, including the one for artisans and technicians.

He urged the registered builders on the need to upgrade their capacities for service deployment in maintenance.

He advised the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON)  to ensure the adequacy of curriculum on building maintenance at tertiary institutions.

The NIOB chief said the advocacy by his institutehad been on with more emphasis beyond building collapse. The institute needs to do more to entrench the culture of building maintenance among the MDAs as well as the citizens.This must be seen to take the centre stage in the institute’s academic activities across the states and affiliate organisations, he added

He said: “The specialty of the registered builder as an expert in Building Condition Survey as well as the formulation of the improvement of framework for building maintenance is called to duty. Achieving this requires that builders are well equipped to carry out this important professional responsibility with competence, precision and integrity. This should, therefore, form part of builders’ regular continuous professional development from time to time.”

Izam said the lack of data for building maintenance had necessitated professional builders to deepen the practice of ensuring the production of Building Maintenance Manuals and regular storage of records that would be relevant for building maintenance works.

He advised his colleagues to ensure that drawings with rich information on construction data and materials’characteristics and operational procedure were given due cognizance to ensure the effective maintenance and facility management practice. Builders, as the custodians of construction sites, have a huge responsibility, he added.

Izam recommended that the Executive Order 11 the institutionalisation of framework for regular maintenance of public buildings as well as the yearly budgetary provision by MDAs for implementing maintenance.