Bennett Oghifo
The federal government has said the Nigerian Building and Road and Research Institute (NBRRI) is the solution to the reoccurring building and bridge collapse in the country.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji stated this recently at the sideline after inspecting facilities at the corporate headquarters of the Institute.
He said there was no doubt that NBRRI has done very well, On the reoccurring building and bridge collapse in the country, stating that it would become an issue of the past if individuals and stakeholders patronised NBRRI, adding: “If we have NBRRI patronised we won’t be having collapsed bridges. Roads will not fail as quickly as they do.
Nnaji, said: “If the materials being used for roads are subjected to integrity tests you will find out that from the machines that we saw you will be able to determine how long a road will determine whether it will or should for 0ne year or 10 years. All these things are found here.
“On the collapse building I was just looking at their machines that test rods. There is a rod there the specification is Y20 but we found out that it is even less than Y18 these are parts of the reasons that caused problem in designing because when you design a building then you put Y20 and it turns out to be Y18 what will be result over time the rods will carry the building it will fail.
“So, I’m employing and will discuss with the Minister for Works, Engr. David Umahi, we will share ideas and exchange ideas on how we can help the contractors through free testing rights so that they (contractors) so that they pay any money because we are looking at the safety of our people.
“Like the bridge collapse in Enugu, NBRRI was there to do an integrity test and he found the reason for that collapse and that of Gwarinpa and Owerri and that is why I said that the DG is doing well and it is a question of the people concerned.”
He acknowledged the leadership qualities of Prof. Samson Duna the Institute’s DG/CEO. “We have in the person of Prof. Duna, who is bringing his classroom lectures over the years to bear at NBRRI through the practicability of these research outputs.
“I’m amazed with what I’m seeing and I give kudos to the federal government for also inaugurating and making it one of the agencies of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
“While their research is ongoing, they are not resting on their oars and thanks also to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) because it is on this basis that what we are doing today is going to wake up research that is dead.”
The Minister acknowledged that with what NBRRI has there is light at the end of the tunnel for Nigeria, adding: “We have a lot here. All that we need is commercialization of these research outputs.”
