The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has urged the Rivers State Government to create a building department that would offer degrees in Building Technology in all the universities and polytechnics in the state.

The Chairman of NIOB, Rivers State Chapter, Ikechukwu Ezeani, who made the appeal in Port Harcourt yesterday during the investiture of the newly elected executives, said this approach, if implemented, would lead to production of qualified professional builders from the state who can take charge of building production processes, preparation of health and safety environment plan, quality management plan and construction programme in the built environment.

Ezeani stressed the need for all the relevant government agencies and parastatals to partner with the NIOB in project execution and project monitoring in the overall interest of the state, especially the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

The State Chairman also informed that his executive would create the awareness for the need to domesticate the National Building code to suit the peculiar nature of the riverine area in project execution, ensure that the rate of building collapse will be reduced to the barest minimum.

According to him, “the Institute is planning to integrate craftsmen in the state in the already planned programme of the body, adding that this will expose them to serious workshop practice of modern techniques in building production and minimise the attitude of engaging foreigners for such trades and relegating indigenous tradesmen to the background because of inadequacies in modern operation techniques.”

He assured that the state chapter would set up an office and equip it with the latest ITC equipment and components for the NIOB where members and intending members could seek information about the institute in River State, asserting that the situation without a central place where the institute documents are kept cannot be accepted as he promised to acquire an 18-seater bus for the institute.

He commended the President of the Institute,  Chuks Omeife for his continued fight and campaign on the importance of using professional builders in building production, construction management, preparation of Health Safety and Environment plan, quality management plan.

“We therefore urge the Rivers State government not to be left behind among all the states in the federation by failing to recognise the importance of establishing the department of building technology in all Institutions of higher learning in the state; also considering the swampy nature of the Rivers state terrain ,there is need to involve all the stakeholders in the built environment to actualise the domestication of national building code for the state which is currently ongoing.

He said when passed into law, the detailed roles and responsibilities of all the stakeholders in the built environment will be stated clearly such that professionals can know their limits.

“Kenneth Nnabuife Nduka, presented a paper at the occasion titled, ”The Expectant Roles of Professional Builders In The Industry.