Building institute honours works minister, Fashola

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NOIB) has conferred on the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, a fellow of the institute in recognition of his contributions to the built environment.
 
Conferring the fellowship on the minister recently, the President of NIOB, Builder Kunle Awobodu, urged the minister not to relent in his efforts to ensure that the National Building Code is made operational in the country.
 
“From manufacturers of building materials to building artisans and professionals, the culture of doing it right must be embraced,” Awobodu said.He added that any nation bereft of building codes is vulnerable to inappropriate building construction, stressing that stakeholders in the Nigerian built environment have for long canvassed for building construction in Nigeria to be guided by the National Building Code which ensures that trained and licensed builders solely manage production of buildings on site to ascertain quality output.
 
Responding, Fashola said: “I have found it difficult and I still find it difficult to take in the credit for any work that the team does and therefore this award is a reward of collective effort and so I wear this gown and I doff this hat on behalf of all the members of my team.”
 
He said the conferment has put enormous responsibilities on him and he would do his best to live up to the responsibilities.
 
“It is good to build brick and mortar but it is also important to build knowledge and values because it is knowledge and values that give meaning to brick and mortar and so if we build without knowledge and values, it will not last,” the minister said.