By Maduka Nweke
The President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mr. Kene Nzekwe, has emphasised that the development and progress of any country or state are fundamentally linked to the strength of its infrastructure and the commitment of its leaders to sustaining infrastructure growth.
In his opening remarks at the Annual General Meeting and National Conference of the Institute held recently with the theme; “Strengthening the Quantity Surveying Practice and Processes for growth and sustainability in a turbulent economy, the President said that the Nigerian economy is characterised by uncertainty, volatility, and turbulence in recent years, posing significant challenges to the construction industry because of the apparent galloping cost of construction”.
Nzekwe said the theme of the National Workshop was a strategic direction the NIQS is pursuing with so much vigour and dedication.
“As we all know, the Nigerian economy has been characterized by uncertainty, volatility, and turbulence in recent years, posing significant challenges to the construction industry because of the apparent galloping cost of construction. As Quantity Surveyors, we are at the centre point of providing cost management solutions to these challenges and proffering realistic trajectories to the construction industry in Nigeria. Therefore, this conference aims to interrogate Quantity Surveyors in professional practice, academics, and other industry stakeholders to identify and recommend solutions to these challenges.
“The development and growth of any country or state is highly dependent on her level of infrastructure development and the commitment of the leadership to continue to ensure infrastructure delivery. To this end, I would like to use this occasion to commend the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for his laudable developmental strides such as the ongoing construction of Port Harcourt Ring Road project. The magnitude of this project traversing six local government areas of the state is a statement that the Governor desires that development quickly reaches every nook and cranny of the state.
It is also difficult to miss the numerous road projects completed within this young administration, the funds channeled to health and education infrastructure and the increase in internally generated revenue for the state are all evidence of the commendable efforts of your government thus far. Your dexterity for economic diversity and inclusion through agriculture and foreign direct investment is worthy of note. It is pertinent at this juncture to intimate His Excellency that in a country like Nigeria, where infrastructure development is crucial for economic prosperity and societal well-being, and with the apparent interest of your government to develop infrastructure in various sectors, the role of quantity surveyors cannot be overstated. You can equate Quantity Surveyors to custodians of efficiency, who ensure that all types of construction projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards of quality. It is in our efforts to further enhance the service delivery of our members that the Institute chose this theme for this conference. Therefore, without doubts the benefits of this workshop cannot be overemphasized.
In his keynote address, the President of the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Oluwole Onashile at the National conference and annual general meeting of NIQS in Port Harcourt recently said that the Nigeria economy is currently under pressure from different fronts. He said that the economy is bombarded on many fronts at the same time with skyrocketing inflation, scarcity of foreign exchange, multiple and higher taxation rates, corruption, infrastructure deficits, threatened living conditions with heightened rents, intangible work remunerations. He noted that the conference is planned to help strengthen the quantity surveying practices and processes for sustainable growth in a turbulent economy.
Onashile stated that Nigeria is currently navigating a turbulent economy, and in such times, there are two paths to consider. One is to seek emigration to a country with a more stable economy. The other is to face the challenges head-on and weather the storm. He highlighted that the latter is the approach the NIQS is advocating, preparing Nigerians to confront and endure the economic turbulence.