By Jude Njoku

Corruption and individualism have been identified as the major barriers to professional development. This identification was made by participants at a three-day national workshop with the theme “The Professional as an Entrepreneur,” organised by the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, NIQS in Kano.Corruption, the experts said, lays more emphasis on ‘know-who’ rather than on ‘know-how’ and has led to breach of all known principles of fair play and mediocrity superseding meritocracy.

Murtala-Aliyu,-NIQS-President

Individualism on the other hand refers to the preponderance of one-man firms which have several disadvantages such as limitations on providing quality timely service, restriction in its geographical spread and high staff mobility. The construction cost experts stated that in order to improve productivity, organisations would require good quality service; sustenance of good stock of qualified employees; conducive working environment and good technical and financial plan.

A communique issued at the end of workshop and signed by the NIQS President, Alhaji Murtala Aliyu and Secretary, Marketing and Public Affairs, Mr. Jide Oke, enjoined quantity surveyors to have an in-depth knowledge of the business environment particularly in the sector where they operate. They should also imbibe good management skills to manage the clients’ resources. “It is also important that he/she thinks like a business man to set goals that are realistic, achievable, measurable and clear”.

The cost experts who decried the dearth of professionals in various sectors of the Nigerian economy, observed that the previous model of single-shop owner is no longer sustainable. “There need to expand, integrate, innovate and diversify in order to promote the profession, hence the workshop was put together to equip the quantity surveyor for the future growth and sustenance of the profession”.

The workshop called on quantity surveyors to embrace digitalisation and explore the use of MS Excel in the preparation of Bills of Quantities and other contract documents. This, they participants said, can greatly reduce the burden on the QS by eliminating boring and routine tasks. The construction cost experts further recommended that: *Nigerians can achieve partnerships with foreign firms with deep expertise in highly relevant areas such as new methods of project cost benchmarking, PPP concept in infrastructure development.

*The current level of entrepreneurial skills within Q.S practice in Nigeria is shallow and needs to be deepened and Q.Ss in Nigeria must appreciate the need for them to act more as entrepreneurs and learn what entrepreneurship is all about. *For the QS interested in entrepreneurial development there are important things to consider: the preparation of a business plan, consideration of the external environment where the business will be reviewed and other Institutions within the external environment.