The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has in Abuja inducted 30 new members into its College of Fellows with a charge ‘’to contribute to policy issues and generate ideas for the progress of the industry and the nation”.
Speaking at the institute’s 2020 Fellows Induction, Dinner/Award Night dinner on Thursday, Chairman of the event, Mr Olumuyiwa Ajibola, who is also the immediate past President NIOB, noted that the hallmarks of true professionals were special knowledge, competence ethics and integrity.
The absence of these attributes, he said, had been responsible for many disasters the world over, but in particular in Nigeria.
He said most projects failed either financially or technically because of the penchant of some people to patronize quacks.
“This is a very negative occurrence in our nation, we must move from the realm of arbitrariness to the realm of structured application of selection processes of those handling our projects. The new inductees must therefore see as part of the challenges of their new status a commitment to add professional and ethical standards in their approach to the building profession henceforth”.
Also speaking, NIOB President Kunle Awobodu, said the professional association of builders has the mandate to train builders, who are required by law to produce safe and sustainable shelter for man and his activities.
“For too long our society has been misinformed or uninformed about the building delivery process. The impression has been created that while the design of buildings is professionalized and seen as services rendered by specialists, the construction of the building is being presented as a service that any unlettered, untrained, but ambitious and connected individual can do. Regrettably, this is the bane of our housing and building delivery process that has earned us the inevitable reputation of a nation with a high incidence of building collapse”.
The NIOB president added: “With regards to Nigerian law, it is registered builders that are charged with building construction and maintenance we say this with a sense of responsibility to protect lives and property. This by no means implies that the building delivery process from design to construction is not based on team work with each participant playing his or her part.
He, therefore, urged the new Fellows to mentor young builders and lead them on the path of professionalism.
In her remarks, Mrs Adebolanle Araba, Chairman, College of Fellows, NIOB, said the building collapse phenomenon in the country were manifestations of the refusal of the society to engage professional builders in projects.
She noted that there must be a change of attitude, adding that the institute was committed to building local capacity and developing infrastructure.
The special Guest of Honour at the occasion, Aare Afe Babalola, Founder, Aare Babalola University, urged the institute not to relent on its advocacy and struggle to end quackery in the country.
Represented by Professor Remi Akinsheye, Babalola pledged to continue to support the institute both financially and materially.
Amongst the 30 new fellows inducted was Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, Special Adviser, Works and Infrastructure to the Lagos state governor.
