Building industry experts have urged universities and students to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional practice by prioritising competence, ethics, innovation and continuous skills development.

The call was made at the Department of Building, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Town and Gown Programme, themed: ‘Making the Most of Building as a Process, a Product and a Profession’, held in honour of the late Prof. Reuben Iyagba, pioneer of the university’s Annual Project Management Lecture.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, said human capital remained the industry’s greatest asset, stressing that professionals must combine technical competence with ethical values and innovative capacity to deliver sustainable projects.

Represented by the Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Prof. Olumide Adenuga, Ogunsola urged graduates to look beyond construction techniques and consider the purpose of their projects, the people they serve and the consequences of their decisions.

She also charged universities to ensure that academic training remained relevant to the realities and evolving demands of professional practice.

The Chairman of the event and Managing Director, 225MM Construct Limited, Ahmed Lawal, called for meticulousness and adherence to quality standards, urging students to develop the competence required to compete globally.

The Group Managing Director of HI Construct Investment Limited, Fatai Olugbade, said that successful building projects depended largely on the quality of the processes and decisions made throughout their development.

He cautioned against treating construction processes as unnecessary bureaucracy, describing them instead as a structured chain of decisions that ultimately determines project quality and success.

Olugbade urged industry stakeholders to treat process, product and professionalism as interdependent elements of effective project delivery.

The Managing Director, Erectas Engineering Nigeria Limited, Morenikeji Opaleye, encouraged students to be deliberate about their academic and professional development.

That will be through curiosity, versatility, skills acquisition, professional registration and mentorship.

MEANWHILE, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Megamound Investment Limited, Olumide Osunsina, who chaired the 12th Project Management Lecture Series, said quality infrastructure was critical to economic development and community wellbeing.

The lecture, themed: ‘Addressing Infrastructure Deficit in a Complex and Uncertain World through Effective Infrastructure Project Delivery’, examined the role of effective project management in addressing Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges.

Osunsina said well-managed projects could improve communities’ economic prospects and enhance developers’ reputations, citing projects executed in partnership with the Lagos State Government.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Florence Gbaye, stressed the need for strict compliance with building standards and regulations.

She cited cases of building collapse and said the government had strengthened the agency’s regulatory framework and enforcement measures to protect lives and property.