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By Maduka Nweke
The 27th President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mr. Kene C. Nzekwe, has said that the Institute must embrace cutting-edge technology such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of cost management services.
Nzekwe said that professionals in the industry must build capacity and competency to be able to compete favourable among trades world over. He remarked that the construction industry is evolving rapidly, with new trends and technologies emerging daily.
Speaking during his investiture and inaugural dinner held at the WELLS-CARLTON Hotels, Abuja recently, Nzekwe said, “We must equip our members with the knowledge and skills to thrive in this changing landscape. Our journey towards sustainable infrastructure projects delivery requires a steadfast commitment to innovation. We must embrace cutting-edge technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of our cost management services.
“By doing so, we can mitigate the risks associated with cost overruns, delays, and subpar project outcomes. Therefore, we are committed to providing more structured and targeted capacity building for our members, enabling them to take advantage of new trends in the construction industry and improving employability and consultancy services engagement opportunities for both our members and practice norms. We also aim to enter into reciprocity arrangements with other national associations to assist international mobility of labour among members.
“Our first and foremost commitment is to work within the confines of the NIQS Constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is the bedrock of our ethical practice, and I assure you that we will uphold these values 16 and principles, ensuring that our profession remains a paragon of integrity. In this age of rapid change and dynamic challenges, we need to adapt and evolve. Our second point involves massive strategic and collaborative stakeholders’ engagement to advance the Quantity Surveying profession in Nigeria.
“We must foster partnerships with government, industry leaders, and academia to keep our profession relevant and at the forefront of national development. The aim is to do this via effective SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. This would be a valuable tool for assessing and improving stakeholder engagement in these ways; identifying strengths; recognising key stakeholder relationships; leveraging the NIQS’s expertise and reputation to attract more stakeholders.
Revealing areas where the NIQS falls short in communication and engagement strategies, he noted that identifying resource limitations to know whether to seek additional revenue or human resources is paramount.
“Capitalising on opportunities is very important· There is need to highlight opportunities arising from emerging trends in the construction and quantity surveying industry; outlining possible government investment in infrastructure development so that NIQS can ensure the profession’s interests are represented adequately; identifying threats from changing government policies so that NIQS can proactively engage with policymakers to shape policies in a way that benefits the profession and highlighting potential competition from other professional organizations so that NIQS can then work on differentiation and improving its services to stay competitive,” he stated.
