Shoddy work, quackery threaten Nigeria's housing drive, FG warns

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has warned that poor workmanship, substandard materials, corruption, shortcuts and the use of unqualified persons could undermine efforts to deliver safe and quality housing across Nigeria.

Akume gave the warning in Abuja while chairing the 56th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), themed: "Repositioning the Building Profession, Advocacy and Policy Influence in Housing Delivery for a Sustainable Built Environment." He said the country's housing challenge could not be addressed by simply constructing more buildings, stressing the need for homes that are safe, affordable, durable and professionally delivered.

The SGF described housing as more than walls, roofs and doors, noting that it was closely linked to safety, dignity, family stability, quality of life and wealth creation. He identified poor compliance with specifications, weak quality control, faulty construction methods, foundation failures and inadequate site supervision as some of the factors responsible for building failures in the country.

Akume cautioned certified builders against allowing their professional names or seals to be used on projects they did not personally supervise, saying such practices could compromise professional integrity and endanger lives. He also identified affordability as a major challenge to home ownership, noting that rising construction costs had placed decent housing beyond the reach of many Nigerian families, and disclosed that the Federal Government was supporting the production of building materials across the six geopolitical zones to reduce construction costs.

In his address, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, represented by the Director of Public Buildings, Musa Abdullahi, described recurring building collapses as a major challenge confronting the sector, and said builders had a critical role to play in ensuring compliance with engineering standards through effective quality control, material testing and proper site supervision.

Earlier, the NIOB President, Daniel Kolade, said the institute was deploying advocacy and policy influence to reposition the building profession, and identified quackery as one of the major challenges facing the sector, urging Nigerians to engage qualified professionals for their construction projects.