The minister of works and housing Babatunde Fashola has stressed the need for professionalism in the regulation of infrastructural development practices within the country.
Mr. Fashola disclosed this at the inauguration of a ten member council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria in Abuja.
The Nigerian government has recently focused its attention on highlighting infrastructure as one of the ways of revamping the country’s fragile economy at a time of dwindling oil resources.
This inauguration of members of the council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria is seen as one way towards achieving the government’s goal.
The minister is also using this opportunity to task these newly inaugurated members on professionalism in order to improve the gaps that exist in infrastructure.
Nigeria has recently witnessed a significant increase in building collapses with some evidence revealing that between 1974 and 2019 more than two hundred buildings collapsed across various Nigerian cities.
These new council members say they will waste no time in putting up mechanisms that will improve infrastructure by cutting down the challenges that contribute to having substandard structures through unprofessionalism methods.
This inauguration ceremony comes at the instance of the expiration of the tenure of nine previous members who had the shared responsibility of manning the affairs of the regulatory body.
COREN which is the highest regulatory body for the regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has been a veritable partner and the inauguration of new members by the Minsiter of Works and Housing is a symbolic gesture for new entrants into the Engineering profession.
This inauguration will help in strenghtening the profession and ensure the elimination of quacks who masquerade as Engineers.
It will also help in ensuring the maintenance of standards and guard against the incidence of building collapse across the country.
Some of the incidences of building collapse and Other Engineering failures have been attributed to the abandonment of standards and use of unqualified people to execute projects in the country.
