Stakeholders proffer solutions to incessant building collapse
By Angela Atabo
Stakeholders in the engineering sector have identified the lack of effective engineering administration as a major contributor to the incidences of building collapse in the country.
They made this known at the Nigerian Institute of Civil Engineers (NICE) 5th Engr. Umar Jibrin Distinguished Annual Public Lecture on Saturday in Abuja.
The lecture had as its theme: “Effective Engineering Administration as a Panacea for Building and Infrastructure Collapse”.
It was organised by NICE in honour of Jibrin who dedicated decades of engineering skills to national development.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Okorie Uche, Registrar, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), said building collapse was a national concern.
He attributed it to the absence of qualified supervision, use of substandard materials, lack of enforcement of regulations, inadequate or expired structural designs, corruption in planning approvals and poor maintenance culture.
“From residential building to bridge, roads, grid failure and public infrastructure failure, Nigeria has witnessed numerous catastrophic failures; these incidents are not merely accident but symptoms of systematic problems demanding urgent attention.
“From statistics, 80 per cent of infrastructure failures were from private developers, that is where the problem is, thus the need to bring them on board,’’ he said.
According to Uche, engineering administration is the backbone of any successful infrastructure project as it encompasses planning, research allocation, project management, policy implementation and adherence to regulatory standard.
He said that when executed properly, it ensured that engineering project met global standards of quality, durability, and safety.
“Every collapse is a failure of administration, a betrayer of trust, and an erosion of hope. We must rise to change this narrative. We must insist on professionalism over patronage.
“We must prioritise long-term safety over short-term profits. We must empower engineers not to just build, but to lead.
“Let us remember no nation rises above the integrity of its infrastructure and no infrastructure stands tall without the scaffolding of sound engineering administration,” he said.
Uche explained that underfunding COREN, saddled with the monitoring and regulations of engineering in Nigeria, was undermining that process and called for a reversal of that situation.
The guest speaker, Mustafa Shehu, who is also the President, World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), urged Africa not to be left out in global engineering best practices.
The National Chairman of NICE, Tokunbo Ajanaku, said the annual lecture was not just a tradition but a vital platform for reflection and to engage meaningfully on matters that concern engineering and the society.
Ajanaku said: “As a nation, we are daily confronted with the disturbing reality of building and infrastructure failures, which not only result in economic loss but tragically the loss of lives.
“It is no longer sufficient to point fingers at design flaws or construction practices alone.
“We must critically examine the frameworks of engineering administration like our regulatory systems, project supervision, enforcement of standards and the leadership within our engineering institutions and agencies.
“Effective administration is the backbone of sustainable engineering outcomes and this lecture will provide a necessary lens through which we can evaluate our collective responsibilities and propose lasting solutions,” Ajanaku said.
Mr Umar Jibrin, in whose honour the lecture was organised, commended NICE for sustaining the annual lecture.
Jibrin said:” I feel highly honoured and elated. I am very impressed by the way the lecture has been going on. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Augusta Uchediunor/Uche Anunne
He assured the World Bank of the federal government’s commitment to a smooth rollout of the project and long-term partnership.
