Business
Adopt Approved Building Code, Says RSG
In a bid to check the menace of collapse building in the state, the Rivers State Government has urged stakeholders in the building industry to partner government in sensitising property developers on the need to adopt the approved building code.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Marshall Stanley Uwom gave the charge on Tuesday while addressing stakeholders in his office in Port Harcourt.
According to him, it is the responsibility of the ministry to formulate and implement housing policies for the state and has provided a building code that stipulates bench marks and minimum acceptable standards in building pre-design, construction and post construction stages of all housing/building construction projects.
The state code, he said is in line with the National Building Code which was adopted in January 2006 and launched by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007.
He said the need for the code arose following the inflow of quacks in the building industry, use of substandard materials, poor supervision at the construction sites, greed, lack of adherence to standards, lack of professionalism and ignorance of the regulatory Building Code.
The commissioner assured that the code, when implemented, would regulate standards and building framework, noting that it has become imperative for empowerment and stakeholders in the building and construction industry to form synergy to create the required public awareness, also sensitise the public and stakeholders in the task ahead, as this present government believe in consultation and stakeholder participation.
He commended the work carried out by the Committee on the Rivers State Building Code.
The chairman of the committee on Building Code Barr. Ovunda Orji announced that there will be a stakeholders conference by next year on building. The aim, he said, is to collate ideas and contributions for achieving a standard building code for the state.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.