Amid recurring disputes over professional jurisdiction in Nigeria’s construction industry, two built-environment professionals have called for an end to rivalry among practitioners, insisting that collaboration, rather than competition, is essential to delivering safer and more sustainable buildings.

The professionals, Alao Abdulrazaq Ayo, a builder and Mrs Alao Chika Yesmeen, a quantity surveyor, said the lingering disagreements over the roles of builders, engineers and other professionals should no longer be treated as a contest for supremacy.

They said that the built environment is inherently multidisciplinary and that no single profession can deliver a complete project without the expertise of others.

According to them, the quality, safety, functionality, sustainability and economic value of a development depend on professionals working together at different stages, from land acquisition and planning to design, costing, construction, as well as commissioning and facility management.

They, therefore, called for clearer professional boundaries, mutual respect, stronger regulation and structured collaboration among the various disciplines.

The professionals said jurisdictional disputes should be resolved through law, professional competence, education, experience and dialogue rather than institutional rivalry or claims of superiority.

“Where responsibilities intersect, the solution should be coordination—not confrontation,” they said.

They also stressed the need to recognise the distinct role of builders in the construction process, describing the profession as central to building production and project delivery.

According to them, builders are responsible for critical aspects of construction, including site management, construction planning, methodology, buildability, coordination of building works, materials and workmanship, quality management, health and safety, programme control and execution of approved designs, warning that attempts to diminish or eliminate the building profession could undermine efforts to improve construction quality and safety in the country.

The professionals said that rather than weakening building education, the government and tertiary institutions should strengthen it through modern curricula, practical and industrial training, industry-academia partnerships, digital construction, Building Information Modelling (BIM), sustainable construction, modern methods of construction, health and safety, quality assurance, ethics and continuing professional development.

“While surveyors provide critical land and geospatial information, town planners establish planning and development parameters. Estate surveyors and valuers contribute to property valuation, feasibility and investment decisions, while architects develop functional building designs.

“Engineers provide specialist technical solutions, while quantity surveyors handle cost planning, estimation, procurement, tendering, valuation and cost control.

“Facility managers are essential to the operation and maintenance of completed buildings, including energy efficiency, security, sustainability, asset management and the preservation of long-term property value,” they stated.

The professionals consequently urged the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), Surveyors Council of Nigeria (SURCON), Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) and other relevant bodies to establish a sustained platform for professional collaboration.

Such a platform, they said, should clearly define professional responsibilities, identify areas of genuine overlap, provide mechanisms for resolving disputes and promote multidisciplinary project delivery.

IN another development, Lagos State Government, through the state’s Building Control Agency (LASBCA), has charged property owners and developers across the state to comply with applicable building setback requirements, warning that adherence is essential for safe and orderly development in the state.

Acting General Manager of LASBCA, Florence Gbaye, who gave the charge in a statement, stated that setbacks provide necessary space around buildings for ventilation, natural lighting, accessibility, drainage, maintenance and safety.

Gbaye, who stated that for general guidance, residential developments on a full plot may require a six-metre front setback, three metres on both sides and three metres at the rear, further revealed that a residential development on a half plot may require six metres at the front, 1.5 metres on one side, three metres on the other side and three metres at the rear.

She, however, advised developers to confirm the specific setback requirements applicable to their property before commencing construction and avoid relying on assumptions or unqualified advice.