NBRRI DG Urges States to Invest in Construction Material Testing Laboratories

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), Engr. Samson Duna has called on states across the country to massively invest in construction material testing laboratories to enhanced public safety, improved infrastructure durability and regulatory compliance.

The DG made the call yesterday in Enugu, during a one day stakeholders workshop on quality assurance of construction materials in Enugu State organized by the Enugu State Ministry of Works.

In his address, the DG said that NBRRI has visited over 80 collapse buildings across the country, where it discovered that between 38-40 percent of these collapses had to do with the use of sub- standard material such as concrete and steel.

“In your presence contractors do the right thing and when you leave, they do whatever they want,”he said. “You need to also independently verify because many of the steels sold in the market for instance, do not meet standard,”.

He urged states not to allow buildings to collapse before they test, noting that quality assurance tests can be carried out periodically to determine if buildings are okay or need to be changed.

“Infrastructures have life spans and you can only determine that if you periodically test in a standard laboratory to ensure that materials used in public and private projects meet established quality and safety standards,” he said. “States must also ensure that they provide certificate of compliance to reputable dealers of construction materials,”.

In his address, Secretary to the state government, Chidiebere Onyia, said that under the Governor Peter-led administration, the ambition is not merely to deliver projects but to establish a reputation for infrastructure excellence, where the culture of quality is ensured.

“In Enugu, we remain committed to ensuring that we deliver infrastructure that safe, durable and globally competitive, he said, adding that the government was already putting in significant resources to ensure that it establishes a laboratory,”.

Earlier, the Commissioner for works in Enugu State, Ben Okoh said that the workshop reflects the collective resolve of the ministry to strengthen standards and enhance the quality of construction materials used across the state, especially given the huge infrastructural development ongoing.

“We are prioritising excellence in every stage of our work in line with global beat practices because it helps to guarantee the longevity of infrastructure and helps to build trust among the people,” he said.