Bennett Oghifo
The national President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr. Kunle Awobodu, has reiterated that the Nigerian society stands to gain optimally when it realises and accepts that building production management is a distinct professional service rendered by builders.
Awobodu made this assertion, recently, at the first ever virtual induction of NIOB members into its fellowship cadre.
Awobodu lamented that for too long the society has been misinformed or uninformed about the building delivery process. He claimed that while the impression had been created in times past that the designs of buildings are services rendered by specialists, the construction of the building has been wrongly, by actions and inactions, presented as a service that any unlettered, untrained but ambitious and connected individual can do.
According to him, this anomaly has been the bane of housing and building delivery process that has earned Nigeria the unenviable reputation of a nation with seemingly unending building collapses.
Awobodu informed the inductees that the society expects much from the profession, and that to safeguard the society’s interest in the construction, maintenance and preservation of building stock. While acknowledging that the building delivery process from design to construction is based on teamwork, with each participant playing his part, Awobodu further asserted that with all sense of responsibility to protect lives and property, only registered builders are charged by Nigerian law with building construction, maintenance, and deconstruction. Awobodu further charged the inductees to bring their wealth of experience to bear in policy formulation and mentoring of younger professionals.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Bldr. Professor Kabir Bala said, “The NIOB constitution stipulates that a corporate member of NIOB aspiring to proceed to Fellows’ cadre must have been licensed as a registered builder by CORBON.”
Invariably, a fellow of the NIOB should be a quintessential professional in building technology and management practice, said Bala, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Earlier, the Chairman of the College of Fellows of the NIOB, Bldr. Mrs. Adebolanle Araba had welcomed participants and concurred with Awobodu on navigating the COVID-19 global pandemic to continue to make progressive efforts. She enjoined the conferees to leave a worthy legacy for future generations.
The NIOB Fellows’ induction attracted participation from within and outside Nigeria. Among the guests was a past National Vice President of the Australian Institute of Building (AIB), Graham Teede, who observed that despite the advantage of excellent network connectivity in Australia, the AIB could still learn from the bold step of NIOB that has upgraded most of its activities to virtual realm in order to overcome global shortcomings created by COVID-19 pandemic.
Other NIOB leaders that participated in the event included Bldr. Professor Yohana Izam, the Vice-Chancellor of Plateau State University, Bokkos; Bldr. Professor Sani Kunya, Dean of Students Affairs, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Bldr. Professor Martin Dada of the Department of Building, University of Lagos; and Bldr. Bimbo Kolade, federal commissioner in the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. Past presidents of the NIOB present included Bldr. Dr. Micah Obiegbu and Bldr. Tijani Shuaib.
Among the 30 conferees were a traditional ruler, high ranking academics and University administrators, technocrats, accomplished private sector entrepreneurs and researchers. The conferees which included HRM, Oba (Bldr.) Ganiyu Asunmo Aderibigbe, the Alayandelu of Odo-Ayandelu Kingdom in Lagos State; Bldr. Professor Deji Ogunsemi, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure; Bldr. Professor Godwin Idoro of the Department of Building, University of Lagos; Bldr. Professor Shehu Bustani of Bayero University Kano; and Bldr. Professor Kelvin Okolie of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, were all delighted at the feat.
