New Housing Minister Vows to Ensure Sector Regulation Before Exit
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, has pledged to ensure the regulation of Nigeria’s built environment before the end of his tenure, saying stronger oversight is critical to improving standards, enhancing public safety and boosting the sector’s contribution to the economy.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja while receiving the President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Prof. Zubair Abubakar, and members of the council on a visit, Darma said the ministry was already finalising a policy framework that would establish a coordinated regulatory system for the industry.
The minister stressed that the framework would be presented to stakeholders later this month for consultation before being forwarded to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
He explained that the policy would tackle persistent challenges such as building collapse, quackery, poor compliance with building codes and the absence of a unified regulatory structure across the built environment.
“Before I leave this office, we must regulate the industry. It is one of the landmark achievements that I have set my mind on doing,” Darma said.
He argued that an industry as significant as the built environment could not continue to operate without effective regulation, insisting that all professionals must adhere to uniform standards and codes.
“There must be certain codes that all of us are responsible to follow and obey. We cannot have an industry as big as what we have and quacks are controlling it,” he added.
The minister also urged COREN and other professional bodies to actively participate in the stakeholder engagement process, describing engineers as indispensable partners in the ministry’s efforts to improve the quality and safety of housing and infrastructure delivery across the country.
Earlier, COREN President, Abubakar, congratulated Darma on his appointment, describing the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development as one of the country’s foremost engineering-based ministries. He expressed confidence that the minister would strengthen the built environment sector and improve professional standards.
Abubakar said the delegation was also at the ministry to invite Darma to the 34th Engineering Assembly, which attracts between 8,000 and 9,000 engineers, technologists, technicians, craftsmen and artisans annually.
He disclosed that this year’s assembly would be held in both physical and virtual formats and would focus on public safety, regulation, compliance and enforcement, with proposals for a tiered sanctions regime to align engineering practice in Nigeria with global standards.
He further explained that this year’s engineering assembly would focus on public safety, regulation, compliance, and enforcement, adding that COREN is proposing a tiered sanctioning regime that distinguishes between preventive measures, disciplinary actions, and prosecution, depending on the nature of the offence.
