How to curb prevalent infrastructure collapse in Nigeria —Adeyoye

The importance of infrastructure to the socio-economic development of any nation cannot be overemphasised.

It is on this note that both government and professionals are being called to rise to the occasion by taking actions to prevent the prevalent issue of infrastructure collapse in Nigeria.

Making this clarion call, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Government on Work and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, said that Nigeria can’t afford continued infrastructure collapse in the midst of  huge deficit.

Justifying call for sustenance of infrastructure, the special adviser said the nation’s average annual budgeted infrastructure spend was about 10 percent of national requirement, while approximately $3 trillion is required to close the infrastructure gap over the next 30 years.

“Recent data puts Nigeria’s infrastructure stock at 25 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared with 70 percent which is the international benchmark.

“We cannot therefore as a nation afford continued infrastructure collapse when there is a huge deficit,” she said.

According to her,  it has become instructive that infrastructure must be sustained  to benefit coming generations, adding that its provision must be seen as an investment that would pay off many times over in the future.

Adeyoye, who was a guest speaker at the Mr Dr. T.M. Olatunji Distinguished Annual Lecture in Lagos, said the construction industry responsible for infrastructure also accounted for a major proportion of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of Nigeria.

She spoke on the theme “The Impact of Infrastructure Collapse on Nigeria: How Professionals Can Salvage the Situation.”

She pointed out that infrastructure collapse occurred when the structure could no longer be serviceable and unable to perform optimally the purpose for which the structure has been designed.

According to her, this development portrayed a bad image for the construction industry and professionals saddled with the responsibility, noting that huge resources, time and labour were wasted and citizens were made to face the resulting hardship brought about by the infrastructure collapse.

Several factors that could lead to infrastructure collapse, she said varying from design error, wrong or non-adherence to specifications, lack of quality control and quality assurance, little or no maintenance strategy in place, local and environmental conditions and abuse.

To guide against these factors, she stated that it has become important for professionalism to be exhibited in all stages of the infrastructure project cycle right from concept to planning, design, construction and maintenance stages.

According to her, professionalism is key to ensuring sustainability of infrastructure.

“We have seen the collapse of new and existing infrastructure across the country because we are lacking from point of design to periodic assessment and maintenance,” she said.

To curb infrastructure collapse, the special adviser on work called on the government to give top priority toquality control and assurance in the provision of infrastructure from planning to maintenance stages.

She also suggested strict adherence to robust specifications that will factor the habits and nuisances of the users

According to her, government must ensure the choice of contractors to handle critical infrastructure, that the authority should ramp up integrity tests be it civil engineering or building projects

She said “Government must ensure effective Public – Private sector collaboration in engaging ISO certified laboratories for necessary engineering tests from the start of the project to finish; ensuring a robust maintenance strategy from day one of having the infrastructure in place

She added that government and motoring public must embrace the need for tolling to provide the much needed resources for all year infrastructure maintenance, citing Lekki Epe Expressway as a classical example.

“Successive administrations must imbibe the fact that maintaining infrastructure though is without glamour is equally as important as providing new ones.

“Maintenance department of every government agency responsible for infrastructure must rise to the challenge and work collaboratively with other MDA’s in ensuring all year monitoring to avert failures that could occur before collapse takes place,” Adeyoye said.

She also urged professional Institutions in Nigeria to give more priority consideration to ethical discourse at technical sessions, public lectures and seminars

According to her, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and other engineering bodies must take the bull by the horn to constantly expose their members to the state-of-the-art maintenance strategies to avert infrastructure collapse.

Others,she said included advocacy for professionals, contractors and government officials to exhibit hallmark of excellence through adherence to ethics, values, competence and integrity.

She urged professional bodies to proffer viable legislation mechanism in Nigeria to deal with unethical practices by strengthening professional institutions to punish erring members, adding that they should embrace continuous professional development, and that

NSE and regulatory bodies should enforce the use of approved construction designs from certified professionals and also be involved in the monitoring and supervision of infrastructure projects from the conceptual stage to maintenance stages.

“Preemptive measures taken by professional regulatory bodies to supervise activities of their practitioners and ensure adherence to professional ethics. There is need to complement government’s efforts to urge beneficiaries and users to buy in and take full ownership of the provided infrastructure as it is key to sustainability,” she said.

According to her, if government and professionals show commitment on their part, the prevalent issue of infrastructure collapse in Nigeria would greatly reduced, assuring the stakeholders that the Lagos State Government is firmly committed to continue working on the improvement, renewal and sustenance of the existing synergy amongst the various agencies and players saddled with the responsibility of providing and maintenance of physical infrastructure and urban development.