NIOB to Create Awareness on Professional Engagement in Building Construction
The Nigerian Institute of Building plans to create awareness on the engagement of professionals in building construction at its annual programme, Builders’ Day.
The 2021 Builders’ Day has as its theme, ‘Professional builders’ engagement in building production management’.
The pre- Builders’ Day programme is expected to begin on
Monday, March 8, 2021 with the induction of graduate students of building and inauguration of the Association of Building Artisans and Caftsmen of Nigeria (ABACON).
On Tuesday, March 9, 2021, there will be visitation to secondary schools for career talk under the programme’s ‘Catch Them Young’ initiative while on Wednesday and Thursday, there will be building condition survey and press day/ lectures respectively.
The programme continues on Friday, March 12, 2021, with corporate members induction and Jumat service while the main event of community service, visit to construction sites, strategic visits to stakeholders will hold on Saturday, March 13.
A thanksgiving service will be held across state chapters of the NIOB on Sunday, March 14, to conclude the programme.
National President of the
NIOB, Kunle Awobodu said professionalism in building construction remained the first step to reducing chances of substandard building construction practices across the country.
According to Awobodu, the objective of the Builders’ Day is to create awareness on the need for stakeholders on building projects to adhere strictly to standards, codes of practice and building regulations.
He said, “Builders as the professionals saddled with the responsibility of managing building production on sites must be technically sound to ensure that the architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical designs are wholesomely integrated to form a massive product composed of various elements and parts that will work in unison and sustainable.”
He said March 13 was chosen in commemoration of the collapse of a five-storey residential building at 63, Massey Street, Ita-Faaji, Lagos Island in 2019, leading to premature death of over 20 pupils. It was an avoidable calamity that elicited world- wide condemnation.
Awobodu said the outcome of investigation into the ItaFaaji building collapse and supported by several similar past cases in Lagos, made the state government do the needful by stipulating in its Building Regulations of 2019 that building construction sites across Lagos State should be managed by registered/ professional builders.