Bldr. Kunle Awobodu has been sworn in as the 20th president of the Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB).
The institute held an investiture ceremony for its 20th President on Thursday in Abuja before major stakeholders in the built industry.
In his first presidential address, Bldr. Kunle Awobodu said that the new leadership of the Nigeria institute of building will sustain the culture of inculcating standards and conscientious practice in the institute’s new corporate members.
‘’The NIOB with a dynamic modality will promote creativity and innovation among its members for the overall benefit of the nation. We will move to defend the interest of our members and our nation for safe building products through safe and sound building practice. We will prioritize safety of men and building above other interests. We will collaborate with all stakeholders for orderliness, professionalism in the built environment, and may all men of good will join us,’’ he said.
He also used the opportunity to speak on a couple of issues plaguing the built environment in Nigeria, especially with regard to standards and management.
According to him, the major problem confronting the built environment is the attitude of not understanding and appreciating the importance of appropriate building management. Any society that allows the construction of its buildings to become an all comer affair is bound to see project failures, he said.
He said that lack of supervision is responsible for most building mishaps in the country.
‘’The day to day management of the entire construction process with the integration of resources and technological know-how including the supervision of the artisans remains the responsibility of the builder. Building construction is a delicate work that requires thorough supervision, hence, the client that leaves his or her building project in the hands of artisans without considering supervision is like shooting himself or herself in the leg. What is worth doing is worth doing well. Artisans themselves must know their limits. Building construction is a huge investment that artisans should not experiment on for selfish reasons,’’ he said.
He further mentioned that the brilliance and expertise of the artisan is very important in the building process as there will be less errors to correct by the builder. He said that the involvement of more graduates in artisanship gives hope for professional workmanship in the country.
He said that the system of skills assessment that has been introduced by the national body of technical education is a veritable mechanism for upgrading the skills of the existing or old building artisans.
Awobodu also stated that if indigenous construction companies can be provided necessary support their performance could rival or surpass that of foreign companies.
‘’Buildings are major barometers of a country’s physical development. The quality of such buildings if not compromised will add to the value of a nation’s investment.
‘’The pragmatic approach to address substandard building construction in Nigeria is for the government to ensure that it is those that are licensed to manage building production and construction that superintend over site activities. There should be consequences for individuals that cause failures of building mishap as a deterrent to those who perceive building project as a juicy venture rather than a risky and delicate venture that requires expertise and diligence,’’ he said.
The institute had at its 49th Builders’ Conference/Annual General Meeting in August, 2019, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, elected Mr. Awobodu as its 20th president.
