By Paschal Emeka, Abuja
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation has tasked the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, NIBRRI on research aimed at engaging critical stakeholders in the building sector to probe beyond surface in order to curb incessant building collapse in the country.
The Minister of Science Technology and Innovation, Hon. Adeleke Mamora, gave the change yesterday while declaring open a special seminar on building Collapse organized by NIBBRI in Abuja, FCT.
The Special Seminar was organized by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NIBBRI) with the theme ‘Review of Building Collapse In Nigeria, Critical Outlook And the Way Forward’.
Speaking during the event, the minister lamented that most building collapse in the country are due to ‘territorial expansion’ or inability of contractors or experts in the building industry to know their limit and jurisdiction.
Hon. Momora while speaking further disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari recently directed that 0.5 percent of GDP of the budget be deployed for research promising continued supports to NIBBRI to enable it execute all it’s mandates for the benefit of Nigerians.
He maintained that NIBBRI as a research institute should task the management and staff to do more in the area of research that could make Nigeria a building collapse free nation.
The Minister also disclosed that the 17 agencies under his ministry are research based urging all stakeholders at the seminar to work out a formidable recommendation that will help government in tackling building collapse.
Earlier, the minister had also charged critical stakeholders in the building sector present at the seminar to brainstorm and critically analyze every situation in the sector in order to come up with informed recommendations that will assist government in policy making and formulations.
He used the opportunity to pledge the Federal government’s commitment to ensuring that adequate funding of the institute is made for the advancement of research in the country.
In his address during the seminar, the Director General NIBBRI, Prof Samson Duna spelt out 5-point which federal government should adopt to check building construction so as to curtail collapse.
DG NIBBRI in his paper presentation lamented that all who were found guilty of building collapse in one way or the other have not been made to face the law.
He used the opportunity to list various causes of building collapse in the country ranging from use of quarks, use of sub-standard products, poor supervision as well as lack of professional advice before, during and after construction.
In an exclusive interview, DG NABBRI advocated for the establishment of building materials laboratory across the country to ensure that materials use during building construction pass integrity test.
Conclusively, he disclosed that the law establishing his organization does not give them the power to arrest offenders.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman NIBBRI governing Board, Uche Egenti explained that the seminar was necessary in order to strategically move the building sector forward by bringing together researchers, scientists, academician, technicians and all necessary relevant stakeholders as well as experienced experts from within Nigeria to collectively discuss and brainstorm on causes and effects of building collapse.
He disclosed that his board have been working tirelessly with the management of NIBBRI inorder to realize the vision and mission to which the institute was created.