Infrastructure: An important driver of economic and national development

MINISTER of Power Works and
Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola,
while inaugurating the Board of
the 6th Council of the Registered
Builders of Nigeria, CORBON, in
Abuja, noted that infrastructure is
an important driver of economic
and national development.
Fashola later charged the
Board with the duty of ensuring
professional builders in the
country endeavour to build
infrastructure that would last for
a very long time.
In his brief remarks during
the ceremony, Fashola noted
that “given the importance of
infrastructure building as one of
the time-tested and proven ways
of driving economic and national
development, the need to have
qualified professionals to build
the nation’s infrastructure could
not be over-emphasized”.
The Minister, while stressing the
importance of the Council, told the
members, “We are inaugurating
this Council at a time of some
momentous responsibility that
our nation has to deal with. We
have an economy that we need to
recover.
“We have an infrastructure that
we need to build. We all know
that infrastructure building
is one of the time-tested and
proven ways of driving economic
development in addition to
national development”.
Noting that the size and capacity
of any nation or community was
“oftentimes related and relatable
to the quality of its infrastructure
and quality of the lifestyle of its
people”, the Minister urged them
to imbibe “the fullest possible
meaning” of the title they bear,
adding that the title conferred
on them holds an enormous
responsibility.
“If you certify people or if you
approve or accredit people to take
that responsibility and whatever
they then build collapses, ask
yourselves, are you builders;
because, for me, builders really
build to last. And, therefore, you
have, perhaps, a responsibility
that is higher because of the times
than it ought ordinarily to be”, he
told the members.
Fashola, who noted that the
nation was passing through
unusual times, pointed out that
the period called for “unusual
men and women of character”
to actually earn the sobriquet
and title, “Builder”, adding, “At different times of the nation’s needs,
it always has the manpower and the
professional cadre that it calls upon.
“So in times of war we have called
upon our soldiers and they have
responded admirably in the last two
years; in times of health epidemic,
we have called upon our doctors
and if the Ebola incident is anything
to go by, they have all responded
admirably”, he said.
Still stressing the importance of
the Board, Fashola, who disclosed
that the Revised National Building
Code would soon be presented to
the public, said the document would
address “some of the challenges that
we have to deal with” adding that
government would need the Board
members to enforce the Code.
“It is a document we will ask
you to help us enforce; to help us
ensure that the builders you certify
are not only familiar with it but
they imbibe it as a way of life. And
if there is anything to be gained
from that, it is also to focus on the
quality of materials, the standard
of the materials that we use as we
go forward in our nation-building
effort”, the Minister said.
He said the enforcement was crucial
given the lessons that could now be
learnt from Europe; “incidents that
have affected human lives and that
have been very costly in terms of
loss of life and property arising from
materials that were used to build”,
adding that he would speak more to
what Nigeria had done as a country when that document was finally
unveiled.
Giving a brief history of the
Council, Fashola, who noted that
the 15-member Board was created
by law, added that that it provides
for two persons to be represented
and nominated from the Ministry,
four persons to represent states in
rotation.
“Also, five persons to be elected
by the Institute of Building, three
persons to represent the Academia,
the universities and institutions of
higher learning including Colleges
of Technology and Polytechnics
that offer courses relating to the
approved qualification.
“The fifth Council ended its tenure
of service on the 27th of February and
this Council has been determined
by notices and letters issued to
various organizations to nominate
persons, conduct elections and take
all the steps necessary as provided
in the Enabling Law to nominate
members”, he said adding that the
current Board had evolved “by a
process that complies with the spirit
and letters of the Law.” He said.
The Minister said Government had
tried to ensure some semblance of
equity in some of the nominations,
adding that by the time the number
was put together, it would be seen
that “within the framework of the
law, we have done the best that we
can to ensure that there is some
balance”.
Again charging the members to
earn the title, Builders, in the real
sense of the practical impact that it
now made on the society, Fashola
declared, “You have earned it
by scholarship. We ask you now
to earn it by utilization and
ensuring that you regulate existing
professionals, certify incoming
professionals who would help
Nigeria to build to last”.
In his acceptance remarks,
Chairman of the Council, Professor
Kabiru Bala, expressed delight and
appreciation to the Government
for making substantial Budgetary
provision for the Council in this
year’s budget pledging that the
Board would do its utmost to
meet the challenges posed by
their responsibility and not betray
the trust reposed on them by the
Government.
Responding to the issue of
building collapse raised earlier by
the Minister, the Chairman said so
far there had been no registered
CORBON member that had been
directly involved in building
collapse, adding that the ones
that were collapsing were as a
result of inadequate monitoring by
registered professionals.
Also present at the occasion were
the Minister of State, Mustapha
Baba Shehuri, Permanent
Secretary Works and Housing, Mr.
Muhammed Bukar, Director/HOD,
Public Buildings and Housing
Department, Mrs Salma Yusuf
Mohammed among others.