Professionals explore strategies for building control in Nigeria

In a bid to curb building collapse and housing problems in Nigeria, professionals in housing and construction industry came together recently to explore professional service delivery on building control in Lagos State.

The professionals who gathered at the just concluded 13th Lagos Housing Fair noted that

housing was a quintessential professional services sector, pointing out that the contribution of the housing sector in Nigeria to growth in the United Kingdom was between 4percent and 5 percent.

Agele Alufohai, chairman of the gathering, said however that when the many services these houses consume or require post-construction were added, “the contribution of the sector climbs to an astounding 17 percent.”

“Such services range from professional interior design, janitorial and cleaning services to installation of solar power systems,” he said, adding that inverters and generating sets would be added plus all sorts of security features.

According to him, the challenges of services delivery in the Nigerian housing sector today reside mainly in pre-construction and construction stages, as collaboration between the regulatory agencies, the professional associations and the various academic institutions is highly needed.

He suggested that future Lagos Housing Fairs should project research with hard figures in naira and kobo on the loss to the various professions delivering services to the housing sector and the economy due to lack of well-regulated systems of training.

He however commended the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) for the successful initiation of the Technical and Vocational Education Training scheme, noting that “through this scheme, City and Guilds is being partnered to train highly qualified and proficient professionals in housing and other sectors driven by vocational or artisanal skills.”

Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, general manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, disclosed in her address at the fair that the agency was established through the urban and regional planning and development law of 2010.