President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Alderton Ewa Ewa, has proffered a new solution to the challenge of building collapse in the country, saying that relevant professionals must be engaged to certify construction projects at various stages.
Alderton, who spoke at a press briefing to discuss the Investiture Ceremony of the 22nd President of the Institute, scheduled for Thursday, 30th November 2023, in Abuja, underscored the importance of cooperation among all professionals in the built environment, stating that they must work in unison at the inception and throughout the project duration to ensure the establishment of a reliable sub-substructure for the building.
He stated: “The point I am trying to make is that the various professionals involved in building construction should be called upon at various stages to certify that the materials used are not substandard and that the building meets the requirement of the industry.”
Alderton, who is a Fellow of the NIOB, stated: “I wish to re-emphasize the point that stage-by-stage certification is the key to addressing building collapse in the country.”
Discussing the concept of sub-structure, he said: “There is what is called ‘substructure’. Typically, a substructure includes a foundation to the ground floor level of a building. At this stage, all those who would be involved in the building production would have met to discuss the peculiarity of the project at hand with regards to their respective professional roles.”
According to the President, “This includes the structural engineer, architect and the professional builder among other professionals who will ensure that the excavations of the trenches and the entire foundation are well executed in line with safety standards.”
He explained that in advanced societies, a certified professional actually examines the respective stages and appends his signature to a document, indicating that he or she guarantees that the particular aspect of the sub-structure and building meets the minimum standard of his profession.
Discussing the importance of ensuring that artisans in industry are properly trained, the president said: “We must also train our artisans because they execute instructions, as such, they are also involved in the construction of a building.”
He called on real estate developers, corporate entities and individuals who wish to own their homes and structures to necessarily engage professionals, saying that it will substantially address the challenge of building collapse.
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