NIQS Celebrates 50th Anniversary, Wants Construction Industry Development Board

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), has called for the establishment of Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), to ensure the implementation of cross-cutting policies within the industry in Nigeria.

The CIDB would be made up of experienced professionals in the Construction Industry, according to the President of the Institute, QS Obafemi Onashile, who made the submission in Abuja during the official commissioning of the Institute’s magnificent 5-Storey Head Office building located in Mabushi District, Abuja on Saturday as part of the activities to mark the Institute’s 50th Anniversary celebration.

Onashile said the Construction Industry in Nigeria faces challenges ranging from Building Collapse, Injuries and Death on Construction Sites, Non Payment of Contractors and Consultants Fees, Environment Degradation, Housing Deficit, High Cost of Construction and Shortage of Artisans, among others, resulting in stunted growth of the Industry.

He noted also that unclear delineation of Professional functions amongst construction professions within the government is making massive corruption and incompetence to persist on projects with attendant negative consequences on the economy.

The NIQS President lamented the current practice in the Construction Industry where Designers are also the Cost Advisers, insisting that such a practice was not transparent and should be stopped in Nigeria, if the nation truly wishes to move forward.

He said Quantity Surveyors should be mandated and allowed to undertake Cost Management of projects of all forms on behalf of Government (be it Refineries, Roads and Bridges, Marine and Harbour works, Airport Runways and Terminal Buildings etc.) whilst Engineers should be compelled to focus and deliver on Designs and implementations of Projects.

“In situations where Quantity Surveyors are excluded from performing the role of Cost Advisers/Managers, the Cost Management of such projects become arbitrarily done by “provisions” being made in the contracts. These “provisions” can be over bloated and thus leading to unduly high construction costs or alternatively underprovided and thus leading to project frustrations, poor quality works and discouragement of the parties,” he explained.

The NIQS boss also said that procurements and indeed Construction Standards were being bastardized and out of tune with international global standards and best practices noting that a local arrangement called “BEME” (Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation) in the Nigerian Construction Industry was alien to international procurement standards.