Experts identify ways to tackle infrastructure decay

Building and Construction experts have raised alarm over the possibility of Nigeria losing its rightful place in infrastructure development on the African continent following a lot of distortions plaguing the sector.

Already, there are palpable fears that the country may lose its envisaged status on the continent to competitors like South Africa, Cote D’Ivoire or Ghana, if urgent steps are not taken to address some of the ills confronting its construction sector.

The Nigeria Construction and Infrastructure Summit (NCIS) Group, dissatisfied with the situation, held an International Media Briefing/Website unveiling in Lagos with a view to addressing issues that are bedeviling the sector.

Participants at the summit were drawn from across key industry players such as: builders, engineers, quantity surveyors, town planners and architects among others.

They expressed their fear as they took turns to voice out the irregularities that have kept the sector down for several years.

The President, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Engr. Olumuyiwa Ajibola, said professional bodies are forming an alliance through the summit to jointly look at the issue.

He restated that the summit envisaged the collaboration of both the private and public sectors to generate the optimal approach to the bridging of the infrastructure deficit.

In his contribution to the discussion, the Managing Director, Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chukwu, said the current model of infrastructure development has failed and it cannot work except the Federal Government encourages Private Public Partnership that will draw fresh plan and appropriate funding structure.

The CAML Managing Director added that the government should come up with appropriate financial, legal, technical and regulatory framework that would allow private capital investment in infrastructure.

The President, Nigerian Institute of Building, Kunle Awobodu, former President of Nigerian Institution of Town Planners, Arc. Bumi Ajayi, Arc. Tonye Braide, an ex-President of the Nigerian Institute of Architect (NIA) and registered engineers, Victor Akpan, Robert Omoruan, among other speakers also lent their voices to the urgent need to declare state of emergency on infrastructure development.