Women builders canvass quality control in projects

NIOB seeks platform for Africa professionals
Poised to eradicate the menace of building collapse, the Association of Professional Builders in Nigeria (APWBN) has stressed the need to pay greater attention to quality control in construction works particularly, inspection and verification of materials used in building process.

The association said non-use of survey plan and other necessary information as a guide during construction as well as compromising of integrity by professionals on the quality of materials and workmanship contribute to the height of building collapse in the country.

Quality Control (QC) is the part of management process in construction that ensures products and service comply with requirements. It is a work method that facilitates the measurement of the quality characteristics of a unit, compares them with the established standards, and analyses the differences between the results obtained and the desired results in order to make decisions which will correct any differences.

In communiqué issued at the end of the inaugural built environment collaboration seminar themed; ”Collaboration among women professionals of the built environment to curb/eradicate incessant building collapse in Nigeria”, held in Abuja, APWBN observed that lack of understanding of the behaviour of materials used for construction and commencement of projects before arriving at the cost must be guard against in the sector.

“There is the need for understanding of the behaviour of materials to be used for construction to prevent collapse. There should be quality control, quality assurance as well as health and safety plans for all projects and maintenance of buildings should be periodically carried out as it will help to retain buildings in functioning order”.

The association called for collaboration/teamwork among women professionals to reduce building collapse. It stated that going by the reality that women are people of great integrity they shouldn’t compromise standard in projects.

The communiqué issued by the President of APWBN, Mrs. Lami Kawu Muhammad said; “Women are endowed with integrity, intelligence, intuition, and expert management technics amongst other numerous qualities. I therefore respectfully requesting that being expert managers of the home front, we should all unite and bring all these qualities to bear on our various professional roles by communicating, cooperating, coordinating and collaborating our activities to prevent building collapse in Nigeria”.

The president noted that terrible building collapse incidences have continued to cause the death of precious innocent lives causing physical disabilities for the people, destruction of properties in colossal amounts as well as the threatening of the sustainability of our built environment.

APWBN urged an end to the idea of copy and pasting specifications/budgets of old contracts for new ones, awarding contracts to contractors with low sum which may lead to abandonment/collapse, long process of getting approvals as well as high cost involved.
She advised women professionals to mentor younger ones, to bridge the gap between theory in classroom and practical on construction site. In addition, APWBN said the formation of Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG) at different levels/states for sensitization, awareness and investigation would go a long way to curbing building collapse in the society.

Meanwhile, towards positive operational paradigms, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has called for the formation of Association of Builders in Africa as a linkage point for relevance, innovations and continental relationship.

The institute declared that with its crops of highly skilled fellows, it remained one of the strongest platforms for professional builders in Africa, if not the world over.

President of NIOB, Kenneth Nduka made the call at the 48th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the institute. He said NIOB remains the only professional body within the built environment in Nigeria without outside linkage, hence, an urgent need for immediate reach out to other professional Builders’ association in Africa for the Formation of Association of Builders in Africa.

“If our profession of building must be enriched and continue to be relevantly trend, efforts must be made to go across the boundary of this country to establish continental and global relationship. The advantage we possess to spearhead this initiative, and which need be appreciated, is that NIOB is one of the strongest stand-alone platform for professional builders in Africa, if not the world over. My expectation remains that we all shall learn to abandon our past mistakes, and rightly rekindle and reignite our commitment to the institute, since the institute forever remains our common heritage”.

Speaking on the theme; “The housing sector in national economic development”, Nduka disclosed that the institute is engaging relevant professionals in the built environment, the government, the regulatory bodies, higher institutions, and the security organisations, all in a bid to sensitise the public on its relevance to the society.

He noted that the development and training of assessors and verifiers have gained increased momentum.

“Our efforts at campaigning for members’ availability for the training will not cease until members in the South South, south east, and north east zones of the country exhibit the right interests like the North West, North Central and South West zones. Of special mention is the exemplary manner that the South West zone keyed into the programme”.

“The Federal minister for Education has presented the Institute with the enable Certificate for the commencement of operations as an awarding body, and some of our members are already performing verification functions in that regard under the MAFITA artisan training intervention scheme. The development is another unique opportunity for us to exercise our roles for pionering the competent Artisans and craftsmen for the building construction industry”, he stated.

Nduka urged members to anchor funds for the sustainability of the institute’s activities, evaluate our respective state chapters and accordingly galvanise the fledgling units at the respective zonal levels institute effectiveness, establish effective linkages amongst all the previous leaders of the Institute so that the beckoning inter-face opportunities with similar international professional bodies could be rightly explored for cross fertilization of ideas, knowledge exchange and professional collaborations as well as the immediate formation of the ‘sector for Builders in Private Practice’.

He said their activities need be coordinated and their diverse experiences duly harvested to enlarge the banks of practice and hands on experience for the institute and her members.

Speaking on the 50years of existence of the association which was also celebrated during the meeting, he said, “The management of the Production of buildings and the supervision of Artisans and craftsmen shall be the role and responsibility of Registered Builders”.

He emphasised it is the duty of members to evaluate the progress thus far made, scan the built environment realities and expectations, and programme for the relevant and responsive actions that will excite, guide and anchor the goals and targets diligently set”.

The president commended members for their contributions, which he said, helped to discharge the outstanding payments on the Builder’s House of the institute, the APDC Housing Estate, all-free from any encumbrance.

“Initiatives have commenced towards the resurrection of efforts for the production of the design drawings for the Centre for Building The 5,000-seater concert hall will have automated and integrated lighting, sound and video system and state-of-the-art audiovisual facilities suitable for live broadcast. There are also indoor amusements for the kids, retail facility and cinema experience for all the family from the two cinema halls, recreational theme park and shopping Centre.Excellence in Lugbe, Abuja”, he stated.