The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has asked professional bodies in the construction industry to seek industry-led solutions to the challenges confronting the industry. Bennett Oghifo reports
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The President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, QS Obafemi Onashile has advised professionals in the nation’s construction industry to find solution to the challenges in the industry rather than seek government-led solutions.
Onashile gave the advice at the 1st Construction Industry Institutional Business Dinner organised by the Institute in Lagos, recently.
The Institute used the occasion to bestow on the Chairman of TY Danjuma Holdings, Lt. Gen Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma Honorary Fellow Award of NIQS.
The NIQS President called for “an industry-wide commonly agreed solutions to the problems faced by stakeholders in the construction industry.â€
The construction industry in Nigeria, he said “faces challenges ranging from building collapse, injuries and death on construction sites, non-payment of contractors and consultants’ fees, environment degradation, housing deficit, high cost of construction and shortage of artisans, among others, resulting in stunted growth of the industry.â€
He said, “The construction industry is currently very fragmented and operating at cross purposes, a situation that has adversely affected the productivity of the industry, costs and the quality of the projects.â€
According to him, “The impressive turn out at the Institutional Business Dinner signaled a constructive attitude and approach to addressing the problems of the Construction Industry.
“The time has come for stakeholders of the industry to come together as a matter of urgency to pursue Industry-wide Reforms that will enhance the operations of the Industry and improve the Economy of our nation.â€
The Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Rtd) noted that Nigeria had one of the highest costs of construction in the world and called on professionals in the Construction Industry to find a way of cutting the costs of construction in the country.
A major component of the gathering was the conferment of Honorary Fellow of NIQS on Gen. Danjuma in recognition of his promotion of Quantity Surveying and various developmental programmes of expanding local capacities for the Construction Industry.Â
Present at the dinner were, Senator (Mrs.) Daisy Danjuma, former Minister of State for Power, Mallam Murtala Aliyu, Presidents of Registration Boards of the professions in the Construction Industry, Presidents of the Professional Bodies and their Deputies.
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