FG seeks quantity surveyors’ assistance to exit recession

To move Nigeria out of economic recession, the Federal Government has sought the assistance of construction professionals such as registered quantity surveyors.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who disclosed this at the induction ceremony of quantity surveyor in Abuja, said their assistance are required in the area of efficient resource management, proper project costing and value for money.

He observed that government is determined to exit the current economic recession through heavy spending and investment in capital projects and infrastructures.

He noted that dearth of infrastructure good roads, power supply among others, present a serious challenge to sustainable economic development of the country.

Fashola, who observed that the construction sector is one sector which can be used to generate employment on a massive scale, said government is adopting a multi-faceted approach to solving the housing problem in Nigeria through active collaboration with the private sector.

According to him, “Such areas of intervention in the housing sector include social housing and affordable housing so that a great majority of our citizens will have access to shelter and housing. The role of registered quantity surveyors in applying their skills and expertise to assist government achieve its visions in this area is very important”.

The minister commended the persistent efforts of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) in developing and widening the functional and operational space of Quantity surveying practice in Nigeria. He stated that growing number of Registered Quantity Surveyors has been very helpful in supplying competent professionals that are needed for quality management of construction industry, especially in the area of cost management.

According to him, there is a high demand for the services of qualified and experienced professionals in the construction industry, especially in the areas of the use of expertise of professionals like; Quantity Surveyors, Builders, Engineers, Architects, Surveyors and urged Quantity Surveyors to position themselves and collaborate with other construction professionals to take advantage of the numerous construction projects coming up in the 2017 budget.

In his address, the outgoing President of QSRBN, Mallam Husaini Dikko noted that the number of quantity surveyors and practising firms registered by the outgoing board in the last six years is more than the total number of those registered by previous governing boards.

He stressed that the outgoing board instituted a Quality Management/Control Mechanism that insists that in addition to full membership of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), prospective registrants must physically attend a formal interview session conducted by examiners selected by the Registration Committee of the Board.