Secretary, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Mr. Jide Oke; Chairman, Lagos International Housing Fair Committee, Moses Ogunleye and Vice Chairman, Dimeji Oladotun during a media event to announce the up-coming fair in Lagos
Bothered by the protracted delay in the implementation of the National Building Code, professionals in the building sector have called on the federal authorities to expedite action on the review of the document in order to restore sanity in construction activities in the country.
The industry has been facing huge challenges and crisis of confidence recently by the public, due to the involvement of some professionals in some developments that had collapsed. They professional bodies partially exonerated their registered members for incidences, blaming overzealous developers and quacks.
Speaking at a forum to usher in the Lagos International Housing Fair, scheduled for early next month, the Secretary, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Mr. Jide Oke, said the federal government should make the document more effective in all levels of government and tackle the issues of importation of building materials into the country.
Oke, a member of the Lagos International Housing Fair Committee, said the government should also find a lasting solution to the issue of importation of building materials into country.
The chairman, Beachland Resources, organisers of the fair, Moses Ogunleye disclosed that the choice of the theme ‘Quality management in housing delivery,’ is hinged on the need to again put searchlight on the production of quality buildings for housing accommodation.
Ogunleye said there was a need to make the country deliver quality houses and be self-sufficient in the production of building materials. On the need to stop haphazard developments in Lagos, he stated that the regulatory agencies seemed overwhelmed and should be assisted by other critical stakeholders in the sector.
He urged the government to engage consultants from the private sector to monitor building construction across the country. Ogunleye who also chairs the committee stated that the spate of building collapse across the country, particularly in major cities, was indicative of the need to refocus attention on matters of safety in housing development.
He added: “It is even more worrisome to note that a large number of collapsed buildings in the country are residential, with the attendant loss of lives. The nation may witness more calamities if efforts are not geared towards quality assurance.
“One of the questions that is of concern to us is to what extent has government at the federal, state and local levels facilitated the achievement of quality related goals, objectives and strategies. Another is to what extent are other stakeholders, particularly the private estate developers and individuals, concerned about building quality homes?”
He said the fair, which is in its 17th edition, would look beyond building collapse and examine issues of production, sourcing and usage of materials.
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