By YINKA KOLAWOLE

In the bid to curtail the incessant incidence of building collapse across the country, experts in the built environment have called for quick passage into law of the National Building Code to facilitate the regulatory process of policing construction of buildings.

The experts aired their views at the recently concluded 42ndNational Conference/Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) in Enugu. The builders noted that a building may collapse due to a problem, , but for the phenomenon to become a recurring decimal is unacceptable and must be curbed, adding that immediate review of existing laws and implementation of the National Building Code are needed to nip the menace in the bud.

They also called for an immediate inauguration of building laws review committee with all stakeholders’ involvement to harmonise them for proper enforcement by government at all levels.

In a paper titled: ‘Curbing the Incidence of Building Collapse in Nigeria: Sanctions, Liability and Legal Imperatives,’ immediate past President of Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr. Dachollum Jambol, pointed out that in order to curb the menace, there is need for urgent implementation of the building code to address absence of planning of the nation’s towns and cities, incessant collapse of building, fire incidents, built environment abuse and other disaster.

He said the implementation of the building code would address the issues of dearth of reference design standards for professionals, use of unqualified persons for building production process and lack of maintenance culture.

Jambol, who is a lecturer in the Department of Building, University of Jos, called for government’s collaborative efforts with professionals and regulatory bodies without any delay to conduct a comprehensive audit of all construction firms operating in Nigeria to ensure their level of compliance with the building code and all relevant industry practice regulation, legislations and controls.

“There is need for comprehensive audit of all construction firms to assure quality and competence of personnel allowed into the industry and quality of products; and ascertain technological capabilities/capacities for practice,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, Chairman, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Prof. Akin Akindoyeni, canvassed the immediate review of the National Urban Planning Law to take into consideration all policies and other laws relating to urban development, industrial practices, regulations and codes affecting the different aspects of the built environment, especially buildings.

Akindoyeni called on state governments to enact urban planning laws that would make the enforcement of the building code mandatory and provide the framework for the construction of green buildings in their various jurisdictions.

He said CORBON had forwarded a sample of the bill on the NBC to every state governor in the country for consideration. The professor of building sought the review of other laws such as the Compulsory Builders Insurance Liability, saying the law would have been more enforceable if it had been made dependent on the provision of the National Building Code for Health and Safety Management as well as Quality Management Plans.