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  • NIQS brainstorms on managing construction projects in turbulent times

    NIQS brainstorms on managing construction projects in turbulent times

    • By, Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

    President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) Michael Olayemi Shonubi has urged the built environment  and members of the institute on cost management best practices. 

    Shonubi made the call during the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors two-Day National Workshop  with theme, Managing Construction  Projects in Turbulent  Times” in Benin City,  Edo state.

    He harped on the need for sustainable infrastructure finance and investment,  policy, regulatory frameworks and standards  for cost management of infrastructure. 

    Shonubi, who commended Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki for the feat recorded in the construction industry in the state cited the construction of local Refinery and other projects  that have  positive  impacts on the citizenry. 

    He stressed the importance of the workshop  giving the challenges facing the construction industry and encouraged professionals in the industry to collaborate and engage in innovation for global best practices. 

    Declaring the workshop open, Obaseki,  represented  by Edo Commissioner for Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development,  Isoken Omo, expressed the government support and commitment to drive infrastructural development in Edo. 

    Read Also: NIQS brainstorms on construction challenges

    The Governor charged Quantity Surveyors, and other stakeholders in the construction industry on quality and high standards with a view to ensuring clients have value for their money.

    NIQS President, who led other members of the institute to the ESAMA of Benin and Honorary Romanian Consul to Edo and Delta, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, described the hospitality as  equal to none in Africa.

    The visit was to felicitate with the patriarch, ahead of his 89 birthday celebration

    Members of the Nigerian Institute Of Quantity Surveyors, arrived at the House of Igbinedion and was received by the patriarch of the house and Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion.

  • NIQS brainstorms on construction challenges

    NIQS brainstorms on construction challenges

    The Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors ( NIQS) is set to host a workshop on managing construction projects in turbulent times.

    The two-day national workshop is scheduled to take place  from Wednesday at SIO Events Centre in Benin, Edo State.

    President, NIQS, Olayemi Shonubi  said with  the ever-changing economic landscape, the industry faces numerous challenges such as price uncertainty as a result of  forex shortages and naira devaluation leading to material shortages, and unpredictable market conditions.

    According to him, the ability to manage construction projects in such turbulent time is crucial for the success  of any organisation.

    Read Also: NIQS to MDA: track constituency projects

    Shonubi said eminent resource persons would speak on various sub- themes, which include Commissioner for Works,  Rivers State, Dr. Alabo George- Kelly, Dr. Andrew Ebekozien; Mrs Faith Ezeugoh, Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, Oluwatomi Ogundare and Mr. Charles Ughele, a financial consultant.

    He said the workshop is open to  construction professionals, including quantity surveyors, project managers, engineers, architects, and contractors.

    “Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in interactive discussions and case studies fostering a collaborative learning environment. Participants will also receive a certificate of completion, recognising their commitment to professional development and their enhanced understanding of managing construction projects in turbulent times,” Shonubi said.

    Also, he said there would induction  for about 170 new qualified members of the institute.

    Speaking about the institute he stated that  the  “NIQS is a professional body dedicated to promoting and advancing the practice of quantity surveying in Nigeria. With a membership of qualified quantity surveyors, the institute provides training, education, and advocacy to enhance the professional standards and ethics within the industry,” he added.

  • NIQS, Igbinedion varsity partner on Quantity Surveying course

    Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye has said  the university will partner the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Edo State Chapter, to begin Quantity Surveying programme.

    Ezemonye made this known while receiving Board members of the Edo State Chapter of the institute, who visited the university.

    Ezemonye expressed joy at the Board’s readiness to assist the university to set up the programme, especially its preparedness to help the university in sourcing for personnel to train students who would be admitted into the programme.

    Also Read: NIQS praises govt on tax for infrastructure

    According to him, the aim is to mount a degree programme in Quantity Surveying in the university.

    “The university is ready to begin a degree programme in Quantity Surveying as soon as possible. I am delighted at the involvement of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors in mounting the programme. This would be of immense benefit when it comes to professional accreditation of the department at Igbinedion University,’’ Ezemonye said.

    The VC said he was excited to hear that the programme could be held  in the College of Engineering where the College of Environmental Science is non-existent.

    The state Chairman of the Institute, Mr. Elizeus Ufuah, said to qualify as a quantity surveyor, a degree or professional qualification accredited by the NIQS was required.

    He also said a degree programme in Quantity Surveying, Construction, Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering are relevant to quantity surveyors.

    Ufuah gave some hard and soft copies of the syllabus to the VC.

  • How to end building collapse, by experts

    Professionals and other stakeholders in the building industry have called for the collaboration of all in the built sector.

    They said: “All of us and related government agencies should be involved in putting up buildings to prevent collapse in Lagos State.”

    They spoke yesterday at a one-day public hearing on the collapsed building at 63, Massey Street, Ita-Faji, Lagos. It was organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

    The seven institutes in the industry and some government agencies were represented.

    Read also: Buildings collapse: Buhari vows to punish offenders

    They include Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA); Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB); Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE); Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP); Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV); Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS).

    The professionals said most of the collapsed buildings were handled by quacks, who used substandard materials, without the involvement of the government agencies.

    The stakeholders called for synergy professionals, the government agencies, and owners or developers, to ensure that right things were done before, during and after construction, to end building collapse.

     

  • NIQS praises govt on tax for infrastructure

    The Nigerian Institution of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has praised the Federal Government for signing the Executive Order No. 007 of 2019. The order has to do with Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.

    The Executive Order number 007 is aimed at enabling private companies to build infrastructure such as roads in the country and be rewarded with tax credits in return and was signed by President Buhari on January 25.

    The President, NIQS, Mr. Obafemi Onashile, in a chat with media men, said this initiative makes Nigeria the first country in Africa to look into providing critical infrastructure through the use of fiscal policy such as tax breaks, rather than the usual government direct funding or lease and concessional arrangement through the private sector.

    “The NIQS wishes to commend the President Muhammadu Buhari for this bold step and initiative which the NIQS had clamoured for in the past few years. This confirms that this government is listening and ready to think outside the box in finding workable solutions to infrastructure and housing problems in Nigeria,” he said.

    Onashile, while commending the President Buhari for this bold step and initiative, said it represents what the NIQS had clamoured for in the past few years.

    “This confirms that this government is listening and ready to think outside the box in finding workable solutions to Infrastructure and housing problems in Nigeria. This initiative could also make social housing provision easy, especially the multi-family type of housing.

    However, to make the Order a success, Onashile charged the Federal Government to include quantity surveyors in the proposed management committee to be saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Order. He explained that the Quantity Surveyor, as financial, contractual and administrative experts in engineering infrastructure and construction projects, have a lot to contribute to its success.

    “Members of the NIQS identify with the new and innovative project delivery method. The QS, being professionals focused mainly on finance and completion of projects only, with no conflict of interest in project designs or supervision, can surely bring a lot of expertise to bear in ensuring the success of the Order 7,” Onashile stated.

    Consequently, the institution, he said, would like to enjoin the Minister of Finance to consider very importantly the inclusion of numerous quantity surveyors in the Management Committee as stipulated in the signed Order.

    Expressing the institution’s concerns, the NIQS President said the body is concerned about getting professionals that would creditably monitor and verify the construction and the total development costs such that the country would not be shortchanged from its income that was being used on her behalf, just as it is worried about professionals that would set the cost yardsticks to be used to determine the volume of infrastructure a private company must deliver in a year to equate to pre-determined tax level.”This innovative Order while very good in principle could however fail due to many possible abuses and some lacunae that the NIQS has observed and which needed to be tightly closed from exploitation. Investor companies are to pay taxes yearly, so how is the quantum of the project delivered in year by an investor being equated to estimated tax liability for the year? If an investor company is not making sufficient financial injection into the project, how can this be quickly detected because the implication is that such company is not paying tax as and when due,” Onashile said.

    He warned that infrastructure delivery contracts are peculiar and require certain basic components of construction procedures to assure a smooth administration that cannot be exploited to the detriment of the government. “It is not the typical “business contract of sale” that lawyers draw up. It requires construction law expertise – quantity surveyor,” he said.

    The body urged the government to extend the Order on road infrastructure development and refurbishment investment tax credit scheme to the housing industry to close the gap in the sector.

  • NIQS praises govt on tax for infrastructure

    The Nigerian Institution of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has praised the Federal Government for signing the Executive Order No. 007 of 2019. The order has to do with Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.

    The Executive Order number 007 is aimed at enabling private companies to build infrastructure such as roads in the country and be rewarded with tax credits in return and was signed by President Buhari on January 25.

    The President, NIQS, Mr. Obafemi Onashile, in a chat with media men, said this initiative makes Nigeria the first country in Africa to look into providing critical infrastructure through the use of fiscal policy such as tax breaks, rather than the usual government direct funding or lease and concessional arrangement through the private sector.

    “The NIQS wishes to commend the President Muhammadu Buhari for this bold step and initiative which the NIQS had clamoured for in the past few years. This confirms that this government is listening and ready to think outside the box in finding workable solutions to infrastructure and housing problems in Nigeria,” he said.

    Onashile, while commending the President Buhari for this bold step and initiative, said it represents what the NIQS had clamoured for in the past few years.

    “This confirms that this government is listening and ready to think outside the box in finding workable solutions to Infrastructure and housing problems in Nigeria. This initiative could also make social housing provision easy, especially the multi-family type of housing.

    However, to make the Order a success, Onashile charged the Federal Government to include quantity surveyors in the proposed management committee to be saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the Order. He explained that the Quantity Surveyor, as financial, contractual and administrative experts in engineering infrastructure and construction projects, have a lot to contribute to its success.

    “Members of the NIQS identify with the new and innovative project delivery method. The QS, being professionals focused mainly on finance and completion of projects only, with no conflict of interest in project designs or supervision, can surely bring a lot of expertise to bear in ensuring the success of the Order 7,” Onashile stated.

    Consequently, the institution, he said, would like to enjoin the Minister of Finance to consider very importantly the inclusion of numerous quantity surveyors in the Management Committee as stipulated in the signed Order.

    Expressing the institution’s concerns, the NIQS President said the body is concerned about getting professionals that would creditably monitor and verify the construction and the total development costs such that the country would not be shortchanged from its income that was being used on her behalf, just as it is worried about professionals that would set the cost yardsticks to be used to determine the volume of infrastructure a private company must deliver in a year to equate to pre-determined tax level.”This innovative Order while very good in principle could however fail due to many possible abuses and some lacunae that the NIQS has observed and which needed to be tightly closed from exploitation. Investor companies are to pay taxes yearly, so how is the quantum of the project delivered in year by an investor being equated to estimated tax liability for the year? If an investor company is not making sufficient financial injection into the project, how can this be quickly detected because the implication is that such company is not paying tax as and when due,” Onashile said.

    He warned that infrastructure delivery contracts are peculiar and require certain basic components of construction procedures to assure a smooth administration that cannot be exploited to the detriment of the government. “It is not the typical “business contract of sale” that lawyers draw up. It requires construction law expertise – quantity surveyor,” he said.

    The body urged the government to extend the Order on road infrastructure development and refurbishment investment tax credit scheme to the housing industry to close the gap in the sector.

  • BPP challenges NIQS members on corruption

    The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has employed a transaction adviser on  contracts.

    By this, BPP hopes that the cost of construction projects would be reduced.

    Its Director-General, Mamman Ahmadu, made this known when the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) executives, led by its President, Mr. Femi Onashile,  visited him in Abuja.

    The BPP chief praised the NIQS for its readiness to partner Federal Government’s agencies to reduce construction costs and ensure compliance with best practices.

    According to Ahmadu,  corruption cuts across ministries and agencies, saying it was high time professionals, particularly cost experts in construction, did more than talking to check corruption.

    He urged professional bodies to punish members found guilty of corruption.

    Onashile canvassed the adoption of stricter project monitoring.

    He said by limiting BPP’s oversight to due diligence at pre-award stage of projects and not  monitoring the projects, corruption would thrive.

    “For BPP to make better impact in delivering value-for-money, it must take its oversight influence beyond the pre-award of contracts; even throughout the construction phase of the projects. This is to ensure that approvals are not circumvented through the possible corrupt compromise of either quality standards or the specified sizes of such projects or both to reduce the actual costs without passing the cost reduction to the government,” Onashile said.

    He implored the BPP to develop an alternative contract form, adding that while the current one was working well for civil engineering projects, it was not in building projects.

    Acknowledging BPP’s effort in fast-tracking due diligence and ensuring faster take off of projects, the NIQS chief called for the engagement of more quantity surveyors in the agency to enable it discharge its oversight effectively.

    “We believe as experts in cost and procurement management of capital projects from conception to completion, we have vital roles to play in prudent costing of projects, procurement management and project monitoring to ensure better earned value for money,” Onashile added.

  • NIQS holds research conference in Bauchi

    The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) is to hold its 3rd Annual Research Conference Research in Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi State.

    In a release made available to in Abuja on Thursday, the Secretary, Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the Institute, QS Olujide Oke said the conference which has the theme “ Confluence of Research, Theory and Practice in the Built Environment” will hold at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi from  September 25 to 27.

    According to him, the conference will open new frontiers of knowledge and innovations, since researches have been known to be the bedrock of growth and sustainable development.

    “There is no doubt that the built environment has been a huge beneficiary of research in diverse areas such as housing, construction and infrastructure. The 3rd Annual Research Conference would not be an exception. The outcome of the conference would provide bedrock for growth and development of the built environment,” the statement said.

    The statement said keynote speakers are the Research Conference are the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Kabir Bala and the Principal Partner, Prime and Bell Partnership, Kaduna, Mallam Abba Bello Ingawa.

    The sub-themes of the Conference are Building Information (BIM), Cost and Value Management, Construction Procurement and Contract Administration, Project Management and ICT in Construction.

    Other sub themes are Housing Policy and Property Development, Asset, Property and Facility Management and Alternative Dispute Resolution among others.

  • Surveyors seek sustenance of Dangote’s price

    Surveyors seek sustenance of Dangote’s price

    The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has urged stakeholders in the building and construction industry to help  sustain the slash in the price of cement as announced by the management of Dangote Cement Plc.

    It said the company should not be left alone in the affordable cement campaign.

    The leadership of the Lagos State chapter of the institute said in Lagos that what the management of  Dangote Cement did was unprecedented in the history of pricing and adjustment “and that everybody should ensure that the price slash succeeds.”

    The Chairman, Mr. Olayemi Shonubi, who led other executive members to visit the Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, said the institute was concerned about the hitherto skyrocketing price of cement and other building materials and  heaved a sigh of relief when Dangote Cement came up with the new price regime.

    He regretted that some stakeholders, including those who should be at the vanguard of price cut, doubted the ability to sustain the slash, saying it would be a matter of time before the price increased again.

  • ‘Construction procurement law could save lives, costs’

    ‘Construction procurement law could save lives, costs’

    About seven years ago, the National Assembly enacted the Public Procurement Act to sanitise the procurement process in the building and environment landscape. The effect of the Act is hardly felt in the industry as building collapse and shoddy construction contracts are all over the country. The need to involve professional bodies, such as the Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), formed the focus of a two-day forum in Gombe State. MUYIWA LUCAS writes that other recommendations were made to develop the built environment.

     

    To avoid construction catastrophe and failed projects that have been the regular feature of the built environment in the country, quantity surveyors have been urged to see themselves as professionals at vanguard of construction procurement management. They should, therefore, master the Public Procurement Act and guidelines. Quantity surveyors, as professionals, should also endeavour to guide the procurement process when they are involved.

    Experts that gathered in Gombe State for a two-day seminar, also reiterated the need for practitioners, especially quantity surveyors and bid assessors that recommend bidders that do not have the lowest bid amounts to always justify their recommendations based on convincing comparative rate analysis rather than the old-fashioned system of discarding bids using the band of ±5 or ±10 per cent variance from consultant’s estimate.

     

    Flawed implementation

     

    A quantity surveyor and lecturer, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU), Anwalu Sani Sheu, while analysing public procurement guidelines in the country, disclosed that non-composition and inauguration ofthe National Council on Public Procurement (NCPP) as stipulated in the Nigerian Public Procurement Act of 2007, remains a challenge.

    According to him, the exclusion of quantity surveyors from the proposed membership of NCPP, would pose a further challenge when the body is constituted. He blamed this on some stakeholders, especially politicians and government officials, whom he said are reluctant to adjust to the new paradigm shift by employing some tactics to manipulate the procurement process, especially during bid evaluations to favour some bidders.

    Challenges

    Experts at the forum also identified challenges facing the public procurement practice to include lack of capacity by many procurement officers, improper procurement planning in many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and lack of a national integrated procurement plan.

    NIQS lamented that discrepancies between budgetary appropriation and actual release of funds is another major constraint facing the sector. Others are late release of available funds and subsequent mopping up of funds at the end of the financial year. These were all adjudged to be inimical to the efficient and effective procurement of construction works which usually have project cycles of over six months. Besides, many states and local governments have not domesticated the Procurement Act while those that have were yet to implement it properly despite the huge funds spent on procurements.

    Past President, Association of Consulting Engineers of Nigeria (ACEN), Nurudeen Ranfindadi regretted that many MDAs were still not conversant with the procurement guidelines. This is believed to be a major reason for the annulment of many procurement processes or reversal of contract awards by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), due to non-adherence to prequalification guidelines and wrong interpretation of the contentious issue of award of contracts to the lowest bidder.

    Stakeholders are also of the opinion that faking of technical and financial capacities, bribery and under-pricing by bidders abound, leading to compromise in quality delivery, disputes and excessive cost and time overruns of projects. These developments have continued due to the non-enforcement of penalties, or poor enforcement where it is done, and the inability or reluctance to prosecute cases of infractions in public procurements which has become systemic.

    Public procurement is also believed to have suffered financial problem given the alleged stringent control of advance payment funds by banks under the guise of protecting the financial guarantees they provide while on the other hand, they charge contractors high interest rates for releasing the same funds as credit lines provided

    The NIQS, in a communique jointly signed by Secretary, Professional Development and Library, NIQS, Dr. Ejike Bedford Anunike, and Jide Oke, General Manager, Marketing and Communications, said the Act, if well implemented, could ensure economic growth through transparent procurement procedure.

    “The Nigerian Public Procurement Act of 2007 has the capacity to ensure economic, efficient, effective and transparent public procurement. This is a sine-qua non for enhanced national development and economic growth if judiciously implemented,” the communique read.

    Such observation may not be far from the truth because after seven years of a supposed implementation of the Act, corruption, conflicts of interests, fraud and irregularities still afflict public procurement and these have stunted national development and economic growth either through siphoned public funds or poorly planned and executed procurements.

     

    Way forward

    The experts have charted a roadmap to rejuvenate public procurement landscape. Some of the recommended measures include the inauguration of the National Public Procurement Council (NPPC). The membership of this council should include a quantity surveyor, who is an expert in construction procurement and cost management.

    Also, the capacity of the procurement departments /units of all MDAs should be enhanced through intensive training of existing procurement officers and massive employment of quantity surveyors as procurement specialists to strengthen capacity in the area of construction procurement. This is adjudged complex and usually outside the knowledge of procurement officers.

    The Public Procurement Act should specifically clarify the issue surrounding conflict of interest in public procurement by identifying ways of addressing them through training, advisory services and enforcement mechanism. For example, it is being argued that proper procurement plans that will ensure early multi-level and multi-sector consultations must be put in place at the onset.

    Equally, value management, which is a powerful tool for enhancing value for money spent should be integrated into the public procurement cycle and value management report made compulsory for major procurements just like environmental impact assessment is for major projects.

    BPP and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were also advised to work out suitable standard guidelines for the management of advance payment funds by commercial banks, while the list of non-performing, sanctioned and blacklisted contractors, consultants and suppliers should be displayed on BPP’s website for ease of reference by MDA’s and other interested parties.

    Also, quantity surveyors were advised to seek more knowledge and specialisations in mechanical/electrical (M/E) and security services as it is in the United Kingdom due to massive increase in their content in modern infrastructure projects.