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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
As part of measures to curb incessant collapse of buildings in Nigeria, the Federal Government has set up a panel to design a new national building code and make it enforceable.
In his remarks before inaugurating the National Building Code Advisory Committee (NBCAC) in Abuja, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Musa Dangiwa, noted that the inauguration of the committee is a reaffirmation of the government’s collective resolve to reposition Nigeria’s building and construction industry on the foundation of standards, regulation, and professionalism.
“By inaugurating this committee, we are demonstrating our determination to ensure that every Nigerian home, office, school, hospital, and place of assembly is built to specifications that guarantee safety, durability, and sustainability.
“The National Building Code is one of the most important regulatory instruments for Nigeria’s built environment. At its core, the code sets minimum standards on pre-design, design, construction, and post-construction stages, thereby ensuring quality, safety, and proficiency in our building industry,” he said
Dangiwa who was represented by the Minister of State, Yusuf Ata, further explained that the building code is not new in the built industry but it has not effectively been enforced, a situation that has encouraged more structural failures.
“The journey of the building code in our country Nigeria spans several decades. The first attempt was initiated in 1987 by the defunct National Council of Works and Housing, with follow-up workshops in 1989 (ASCON, Badagry) and 1990 (Ijebu-Ode). After years of consultations, the draft was re-presented at the 2nd National Council on Housing and Urban Development in 2005, culminating in the first official National Building Code signed into law in 2006 by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
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“Since then, progress has been slow, largely due to challenges in ratification, enforcement, and compliance.
“I also understand that the first National Building Code Advisory Committee was inaugurated in 2018 and upon its expiry three years later it was not reconstituted again. I am happy that four years later under the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are today reconstituting this important committee that is very critical to fixing and arresting the embarrassing problem of building collapse.
“The need to evolve a National Building Code arose from the following existing conditions of our cities and environment which include, the absence of planning of our towns and cities; incessant collapse of buildings, fire infernos, built environment abuse and other disasters; dearth of referenced design standards for professionals;
use of non-professionals and quacks; use of untested products and materials and lack of maintenance culture” he observed
Earlier, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Shuaibu Belgore, had highlighted the importance of National Building Code, saying that it provides a unifying framework that sets minimum standards for design, construction, and maintenance of buildings across the country.
Also, he stated, the code safeguards lives and property while also fostering investor confidence and enhancing the global competitiveness of Nigeria’s built environment.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the committee, Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja who spoke on behalf of the other members, expressed gratitude for the appointment, thanking the federal government for finding them worthy to be appointed. He promised to abide by the objectives of the federal government especially in the area of meeting twice a year and making sure that the objectives of the committee are met.
