Real estate developers and clients have been urged on the need to recognise the role of professional builders as custodians of the practice of production management on building sites.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 54th Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), which was held in Awka Wonderland, Anambra State, the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru, said this was necessary in order to rid the built environment sector of quacks and building collapse.
Nwifuru, who is also a fellow of NIOB, identified the activities of quacks as a leading cause of building collapse in the country, calling on developers to recognize the roles of builders and checkmate these.
He challenged the state governments to domesticate the National Building Code in their jurisdictions.
He noted that the timely approval of the new Urban Development Law and Building Control Agency Law by the Ebonyi State Government under his leadership is further strengthening infrastructural development in the state.
Early on, Governor of Anambra State, Prof Charles Soludo, welcomed members of the NIOB led by its president, AderltonEwa to Anambra State.
Before declaring the event open, the governor commended builders for their outstanding contributions to infrastructural development in Anambra State.
He expressed satisfaction that his administration’s partnership with builders through the newly created Department of Building Construction and Maintenance in the Ministry of Housing is yielding tangible dividends for the state.
The opening ceremony witnessed a good turnout of industry stakeholders, academia, past leaders of the NIOB. Also present were Chairman of CORBON BldrDr Samson Opaluwah, Council members of CORBON and NIOB, Prof Akaneran Essien, former Vice Chancellor (V C) University of Calabar, who served as keynote speaker and Prof Yohana Izam, former VC Plateau State University Bokkos, who is also the immediate past President of the Nigerian Institute of Building.
Various technical papers were presented and reviewed and the positive outcomes therefrom served the essential practice takehomes for more than 2,000 delegates who thronged the venue from various built environment industry stakeholders and value chains.
Above all, the commitment of the NIOB to address the needs of the built environment recorded another positive leap with the induction of more than 400 new builders into the corporate(professional) member grade of the institute during the occasion.
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