Stakeholders in the construction industry have advocated the need for the diversification of the economy from its dependence in the oil sector to engaging the vast opportunities and prospect in the non-oil sector.

President Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Tijjani Shuaib, expressed hope that promoting sustainability in the other sectors of the economy, particularly investment in the non-oil sector, would help improve the economy from its present economic challenges confronting the country.

Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of Building, 46th Builders’ conference and yearly general meeting with theme: “Building Industry and National economic Development”, Shuaib said the conference will provide another platform to understudy the relationship between the construction sector and the national economy.

He noted that a major industry that can rescue the ailing economy of the country is the non-oil sector; thereby calling on government at all levels to key into non-oil sectors with particular interest in the construction industry.

“It is a known fact that almost all other sectors of the economy in one way or the other depend completely on the products and services of the construction industry in their day to day operations.”However, the industry’s current contribution to the economy in Nigeria is abysmal when compared with developed or developing economies”, he said.

He added that the present economic dispensation in the country provides a favourable atmosphere for the construction industry to thrive, noting that, there is need to revamp and expand the middle class labour force which was almost going extinct at a point in the economy.