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Experts laud FG’s new national building code

By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia
09 July 2018   |   3:46 am
Industry experts have commended the federal government on this initiative to ensuring that deliberate measures are adopted to monitor construction projects. They explained that the document will curb the loss of life and property, improve the quality of infrastructures and, facilitate economic growth and development. As part of its commitment to infrastructural development and ensuring…

NEMA Director-General Mustapha Maihaja

Industry experts have commended the federal government on this initiative to ensuring that deliberate measures are adopted to monitor construction projects.

They explained that the document will curb the loss of life and property, improve the quality of infrastructures and, facilitate economic growth and development.

As part of its commitment to infrastructural development and ensuring safety of life and property, the Federal government announced a new national building code, which will monitor construction works across the country.

The aim of the code is to provide the minimum standards to safeguard life and property.

It will also guarantee public health and welfare by effectively regulating the processes of design, approval, construction, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of all buildings and structures taking into consideration the traditions and culture of, as well as the technological and economic circumstances in Nigeria.

In the latest Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) 2017-2018, Nigeria was ranked 125th out of 137 economies surveyed by World Economic Forum (WEF).

The index covers 114 indicators, which are grouped into 12 pillars: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labour market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation.

Nigeria’s highest score (5.0) was in the market size pillar; while its worst score (2.0) was in the infrastructure sub-index.

This is not hard to reconcile considering the rate at which buildings have collapsed between 2017 and 2018 alone.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has reported that the death toll from collapsing buildings in Nigeria has risen over the last 10 years and it has become increasingly difficult to keep track of as it is now a regular occurrence.

During the announcement, the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said that the number of deaths and injuries associated with wrong plans for buildings and other construction projects in the country have become alarming.

It is evident that the most prominent cause for building collapse is as a result of unacceptable ways of building, hence the need to establish the new building code.

Reacting to the development, the Managing Director, ITB Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ramzi Chidiac, encouraged stakeholders in Nigeria to have positive attitude for the adoption of the new building code, to ensure well-regulated and effective operations of a large number of construction activities in the country.

He said, “the code has clearly explained the duties and responsibilities of each and every professional.

The code has emphasized the need for teamwork at various phases of building production and other important activities like building survey and preparation of dilapidation schedules.”

Also commenting on the adoption of the new code, Toni Nasr, Project Manager, Azuri Peninsula said, “the code will not only serve as a model mechanism for regulating the activities in the building and construction industry through the provision of guidelines and sanctions, but will also be of tremendous assistance in curtailing professional negligence, sharp practices and other forms of unethical behavior in the sector”

Emmanuel Adeyemi, QA/QC Coordinator, ITB Nigeria Ltd added that “ITB Nigeria Ltd, has made it its mission to increase the quality of African construction engineers by raising the bar on training and development.”

He says that proper education and supervision will ensure that construction projects are designed in such a way that public safety is guaranteed.

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