By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has pledged to comprehensively address the issue of frequent building and construction collapses in Nigeria, with the aim of putting a decisive end to the crisis.
Senator John Owan Enoh, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, made this known at the National Conference on the Building and Construction Sector held on Tuesday in Abuja.
The conference, organised by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) under the theme “Adherence to Standard Practices: Bedrock of Sustainable Development in the Building/Construction Sector”, saw the minister expressing concern over the repeated instances of building collapse across the country, emphasizing the need for bold action to tackle the challenge.
“This forum could not have come at a time better than this when cases of incessant building collapses are being witnessed in the country at all time and I think that for both SON and stakeholders that are here, the question is what is the cause of this and what can be done in the midst of several factors that range from standardisation and quality, certification and efficient regulatory system and enforcement?
“I think it behoves all of us to have the courage to tackle this menace. It requires courage and it is possible to do it. It is possible to exist in a country which such incidents are no more,” the minister said.
The minister also expressed concerns on the absence of SON at Nigeria’s sea ports, noting that many building materials enter the country through the ports.
He stressed that this situation warrants attention to ensure only quality materials are approved for use.
“On SON returning to our ports, if SON is the one issuing various SONCAP certifications for goods entering the country and is not present, it means…” he said.
Enoh said tackling the problem of frequent building collapse aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for security and safety and urged the conference participants to collaborate with SON in developing practical solutions to ensure safer, more reliable building structures.
“I am confident that with the competence SON has consistently demonstrated, the Director General will provide the necessary leadership to champion this cause for better results,” he added.
On his part, the Director General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke said rapid urbanization and a rising population have placed immense demands on every infrastructure, making the building construction industry both an opportunity and a challenge.
“While we have made substantial progress, we continue to face complex issues of quality, durability, multiplicity of purpose and long-lasting sustainability, poor construction practices, quackery, unprofessionalism and inadequate or lack of proper soil testing. Non-adherence to standards and codes of practice in the construction process have resulted in unfortunate cases of building collapses, endangering lives, loss of property and damaging public trust.
Speaking further, Okeke said SON has worked closely and will continue to do so with industry experts and practitioners to develop and update standards for construction materials, techniques and safety protocols.
“We have adopted a proactive approach, ensuring that these standards are not only up to date but also responsive to the latest industry trends, technologies and best international practices to improve the quality of materials and reduce substandard products.
“Our Mandatory Conformity Assessment Program (MANCAP) ensures that locally manufactured products meet minimum quality standards. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program (SONCAP) controls the quality of imported materials and preventing substandard items from entering our market.
“In line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we are focused on encouraging a resilient and self-reliant building and construction sector that serves as a backbone for economic growth and social progress,” the SON boss said.
In a keynote address, President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Prof. A. Z. Abubakar, said the organisation has established investigation panels in each of its seven regions following the avoidable incidences of infrastructural failures including incessant building collapse across the country, with the Disciplinary Tribunal still domiciled at COREN Headquarters.
He said the present economic situation in the country has prompted some individuals to cut corners in the building/construction sector, thereby endangering the lives of the people.
“In recent times, due to the economic hardship and hyper-inflation partly triggered by removal of fuel subsidy and streamlining of forex, rising prices of fuel/gas and basic food items has affected the prices of construction materials in an upward trend and adherence to standards has become a challenge.
“A practical example is the situation where manufacturers of blocks now modify their molds in some quarters. The 9-inch hollow block which ought to be 450x225x225mm with a web thickness of 50mm now comes with much lesser and thinner web thickness from a random visit conducted to some block industries in the FCT just last month. Same also applies to the 6-inch hollow block which ought to be 450x225x150mm with a web thickness of 37.5mm. Steel reinforcements are also not speared as in some instances, available supplies in the open market have been observed to fall short of the required diameters. These occurrences are a recipe for potential building collapse if the trend is not checked and/or reversed, ” he said.
The COREN President also called on the federal government to reconsider the decision that stopped SON from inspecting goods at the nation’s portd.
“SON has been out of the Ports for over 13 Years: In another development, we understand that the SON has been out of the Nation’s Ports for more than 13 years now due to such reasons as ease of doing business. We consider this as a gap that must not be left open if SON is to leave to its full potential. We therefore urge the government to carefully review this occurrence to allow SON carry out their functions at the port without impeding the ease of doing business, ” he said.
While calling for provision of adequate material testing laboratories to ensure all materials used in the building industry csn be tested to ascertain their conformance with the provisions of the relevant codes or standards, Prof. Abubakar advocated robust monitoring and enforcement to ensure compliance from end to end and in the open markets where building materials for construction are often sourced.
The AUTHORITY reports that the event, which attracted goodwill messages from relevant government agencies and other stakeholders in the building sector, also witnessed papers presentations and panel discussion.
