Regulatory Bodies In the Construction Industry In Nigeria

  

·         The construction or building industry in Nigeria is a complex and highly competitive one with varying professionals in different aspects. These professionals ensure the successful execution of its numerous activities.

·         However, just like in every sector of the economy of a country, there are regulatory bodies that are saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the effective control; coordination; organizing; directing; resource management and production of building; and other constructional activities in Nigeria.

·         This article lists the various institutions, their regulatory bodies and their functions.

Construction practices in a developing country like Nigeria differ significantly in important aspects from practices in industrialized or developed countries. In Nigeria, the greatest challenge facing professionals in the field is that the practice of construction is not uniform. It varies with the client, size or complexity of the project from the perspective of the owners.

Albeit, there are instituted agencies in the construction industry in Nigeria that regulate building practices in the country. The regulatory bodies are set up to regulate and ensure that professionals within the construction industry operate in accordance with the law establishing them.

The list of the various institutions and their regulatory body is as followings:

1. The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB): This is the professional body responsible for promoting the science and practice of building technology, maintenance, surveying, production/construction management, maintaining a high standard of competence and professional conduct as well as promoting and encouraging the advancement of technical and general knowledge in the building profession in Nigeria is the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB).

Drawing its origin from a related society called the “Builders”, which was formed in 1834 and later became ‘The Chartered Institute of Building’ in 1980 and now the Institute for the Management of Construction, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) became the first overseas centre for the Institute of Building in 1967 and became autonomous in 1970.

NIOB is subject to and controlled by The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON)

2. The Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA): The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) was founded on the 1st of April 1960 as an association of independent professional architects with the arms and objective of fostering friendship amongst members, cater for their welfare and establish mutual support and cooperation amongst them.

The idea for the formation of an independent professional architects organization in Nigeria was first conceived and motivated by three Nigerian architects while still pursuing their training in England in the early fifties. The NIA conducts examinations with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and may be called to arbitrate in cases of dispute or liability.

Invariably, NIA is subject to and controlled by ARCON.

3. The Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE): The Nigerian Society of Engineers is the umbrella organization for the Engineering Profession in Nigeria. The Society looks after the professional needs of members through well-structured programmes and regular interactions among the different cadre of membership, enhancing high professional standard and ethical practices.

The Organisation was founded on 16th February, 1958 by a group of young Nigerian graduate engineers and students in the UK, the Society was inaugurated at the Nigerian House in London.

NSE is subject to and controlled by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN)

4. The Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyor’s and Valuers (NIESV): The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) was founded in 1969 by the few qualified General Practice Chartered Surveyors who were trained mainly in the United Kingdom. The Institution was granted government recognition by the enactment of the Estate Surveyors and Valuers (Registration Act)” Decree No. 24 of 1975. The first Annual Conference of the institution was held at Ibadan in 1969.

The Institution is affiliated to the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (CASLE), International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria(APBN) AND The International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC).

The Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) is empowered to regulate and control the practice of the profession of Estate Surveying and Valuation in the country. NIESV is controlled by ESVARBON

5. The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP): On the 5th September 1966, 30 pioneer Town Planners held a historic meeting in Lagos which led to the formal inauguration of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. A protem Executive Council was elected to steer the affairs of the young Institute.

Planners develop long- and short-term plans to use land for the growth and revitalization of urban, suburban, and rural communities, while helping local officials make decisions concerning social, economic, and environmental problems. Because local governments employ the majority of urban and regional planners, they often are referred to as community, regional, or city planners.

The NITP is Nigeria’s leading planning body for spatial, sustainable, integrative and inclusive planning. The NITP exists to advance the science and art of planning for the benefit of the public.

NITP is subject to and controlled by town Planning registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC)

6. The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS): The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors was founded in 1969 by a group of Nigerians who trained, qualified and practiced in the United Kingdom but who upon returning to Nigeria sensed the urgent need to develop the profession of Quantity Surveying in Nigeria by establishing a parallel body to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors of United Kingdom.

The Profession of Quantity Surveying is practiced in Nigeria along the same pattern as in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. In America, they are known as Cost Engineers. Quantity Surveying functions are carried out in other countries under a variety of names. Thus, the role is universal. NIQS is subject to and controlled by the Quantity Surveyors registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBON).

7. The Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS): The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors is perhaps one of the oldest organized Professional bodies in Nigeria. It started in 1934 as the “Licensed Surveyors Association” under the leadership of the late Nationalists, Herbert ‘Heelas’ Macaulay.

In 1960, the name was changed to the “Land Surveyors Association of Nigeria” with the late Surv. C.T. Olumide as chairman. The current name – ” The Nigerian Institution of Surveyors” was adopted at the Enugu Conference in 1960 with the late Surv. C.T. Olumide elected President.

NIS is subject to and controlled by the Surveyors Registration Council of Nigeria (SURCON).

 8.   Technician Societies - Nigerian Society Of Engineering Technicians (NSET) 

How  (NISET) started: Not until 1992, when decree N0.55 of 1970 was established, COREN registered only engineers, technicians and other cadres of engineering personnel, were not accorded professional recognition by law. The amendment of this decree-by-decree N0. 27 of 1992 empowered COREN to register other professional engineering personnel namely: Engineering Technologists, (holders of HND), Engineering Technicians (holders of OND) and Engineering Craftsmen (holders of Nat. Craft Cert.)

The Nigerian Society of Engineering Technicians: Works with Technologists, Engineers and other members of the Engineering Family.

Their objective is to  Provide a central organization for engineering technicians, advance the interest of technical profession in Nigeria. Promote, protect, encourage and maintain a high standard of technical education and training to encourage greater efficiency amongst its members. Conduct and organize seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings, courses, symposia, technical shows, exhibitions and other similar exercises on technical topics and subjects in Nigeria.

9.  Research Organizations: The need for and the importance of building and road research in Nigeria was recognized as far back as the colonial era. The initial focus was however on building research. Indeed in 1952, the West African Building Research Institute (WABRI) was established as a Sub-Regional Building Research Centre to provide services to The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (now Ghana) and Nigeria, with its Headquarter in Accra.  As soon as Ghana gained political independence, she withdrew from WABRI in 1962.  The WABRI substation in Zaria was subsequently transferred to the then Federal Ministry of Works and Survey.  Interestingly, the Zaria station failed to evolve as a national research centre in Nigeria due to a number of reasons which included the fact that the research programme developed by the expatriate staff did not appear at  that time to further Nigeria’s national goals and, secondly, the fact that there was lack of qualified and experienced Nigerian staff to run the station after the departure of the expatriate staff.

No significant progress was made towards the establishment of a national construction research institute until 1970/71 when the then Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) sought for technical assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The UNDP engaged the services of Mr I Small, a former Director of WABRI to prepare a report that would form the basis of the request of the Nigerian Government to UNDP (Special Fund). The report recommended the establishment of a National Construction and Road Research Institute (NCRRI). Unfortunately, the project was not given a high enough priority and was not included in Nigeria’s request to UNDP.

There are other organisations apart from the professionals associations mentioned above that also contribute middle and lower cadre manpower to the success of the building industry. These include the following:

·         Trade Associations

·         Employers’ Associations and

·         Employer’s Organization/Federations