The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has been urged to reform the building industry with needed package to increase GDP employment generation, affordable housing through a mixture of innovative building materials and construction technology.
The call was made by the Governor of Bauchi State , Mohammed Abubakar, who was ably represented by the speaker of Bauchi State, Kawuwa Shehu Damina at the 47th Builders Conference / Annual General Meeting (Tagged Yanka 2017) which took place at Zaranda Hotel Bauchi State on the theme “Contemporary Innovations Practices” which was conceived to reflect the institute’s desire to promote innovations and relationship of the building industry with tourism among others. The conference witnessed attendance by the
Abubakar, told the professionals builders that its as apt at a time like this when there is absolute necessity for builders to up to it game in order to deliver on care mandate as builders through production of quality buildings and egalitarian built environment.
According to him there is need for builder in the country to revitalize the ailing economy and fight corruption which can be use to reform the building industry with needed package to increase GDP employment generation, affordable housing through a mixture of innovative building materials and construction technology. He noted that it entails builders in the industry to focus despite the present economic challenges confronting the country.
“Today is an opportunity and choice for builders to provide platform of understanding, relationship between the construction sector which account for 40%-60% of gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), therefore Nigerian builders should increase and being recognized as profession in charge of building production management.
NIOB President, Tijani Shuiab called on federal government, urged professionals in the built construction industry to takes a holistic view on activity going on in the fields of construction from contracting and design to procurement and project management with a view to the wider issues that influence the built environment, including society, policy, planning and economics.
The president who gave the charge in Bauchi, while declaring open the 47th Building Conference and AGM said this year conference is aim to provide essential reading for built environment business leaders, policy makers, researchers and community influences to adopt advanced construction technology which requires an appropriate design, commitment from the whole project with suitable procurement strategies, good quality control, appropriate training and careful commissioning.
Shuiab lamented that for built construction industry to grow in Nigeria will required advanced construction technology which cover a wide range of modern techniques and practices that encompass the latest development in materials technology, design procedures facilities management, services, structural analysis, design, and management studies.
“Incorporating advanced construction technology into practice, can increase level of quality efficiency, safety, sustainability and value for money therefore is often a conflict between tradition industry methods and innovative new practice and this is often blamed for the relatively slow rate of technology transfer with the industry”. The President however, outlined that the global competiveness of Nigeria’s construction industry will give concrete design and construction practices of today which is set to look into broad range of challenges faced by the performance of the materials to environment and safety issues, relating to materials and properties.
The Chairman, marketing and corporate affair committee and the 2nd Vice President of the Institute,Prof. Y. Izam restate that the institute has adopted a major resolutions which include committed leadership, synergy between professional bodies and deliberate policies on institutional training and capacity building in the building information modeling, designers of building should utilize tourism potentials of the environment with respect to materials, culture and construction technologies, construction professionals should have a paradigm shift from conventional waste management practices to modern waste practices such as lean construction material recycling and prefabrication, builder and other professionals in the construction industry should be trained in the areas of modern waste management practices among others.
The conference which was attended by participants which included eminent registered builders, renowned experts from allied professionals such as Architecture, town planning, engineering, quantity surveyors, medicine and seasoned public servant and captain of industry.
By Marc Philips
