Adebayo Adenrele
In a bid to avert and prevent further building collapse in Ekiti State, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Ekiti State Chapter has called on Governor Biodun Oyebanji to involve professional builders in policy formulation and building control mechanisms.
The association maintained that the involvement of registered builders in government policies and building control agencies would help strengthen professionalism and ensure safer construction practices.
The Chairman of the State Chapter, Mayowa Adebiyi made this appeal while speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday during a rally to commemorate 2026 Builders’ Day themed: ‘Advocacy and Policy Influence towards sustainable reforms for a resilient built environment’.
According to him, professional builders should be officially recognised on construction sites and included in policy management structures that regulate building activities across the state.
Adebiyi noted that the institute is advocating for a review of certain policies to ensure that builders play active roles in building control agencies and project supervision, adding that such collaboration would help prevent structural failures.
The NIOB Chairman also identified quackery, use of substandard materials and poor project management as major factors responsible for building collapse, stressing that engaging qualified professionals across the built environment is essential to preventing such incidents.
He explained that the built environment involves the collaboration of professionals such as architects, quantity surveyors, services engineers and builders, each with clearly defined responsibilities in ensuring safe construction.
While commending the state government for its commitment to professionalism, he expressed optimism that stronger collaboration between the government and the institute would further enhance safety in the construction industry.
His words, “The goal of this year’s programme is to educate students who are coming up to encourage them to study Building as a profession.
“When you talk about building collapse, there are several factors responsible for it. The first is quackery, which means not engaging the right professionals in the built environment. Another factor is material failure. Also, issues related to project management can contribute to building collapse.
“If adequate materials are not used, or if the necessary tests are not carried out, it can lead to building collapse. So there are many factors responsible for it.
“Regarding the role of government in preventing building collapse, the government is trying. That is why we have the building code. We are also hoping that the code will be domesticated in Ekiti State. For example, in the Federal Capital Territory, there are laws and regulations guiding building construction which require that every building site must have a registered builder on site.
“In the built environment, the professionals involved include the architect, the quantity surveyor, the services engineers both electrical and mechanical and the builder. Builders are trained to carry out the building production itself.
“We also prepare necessary documents such as the project Quality Management Plan, construction Methodology, Health and Safety Plan and the construction programme of work. These documents are already being implemented in states like Lagos State.
“Here in Ekiti State, we believe the government we have is one that encourages professionalism. The governor is someone who believes in engaging professionals to carry out their roles properly and to ensure that professionals are involved on construction sites.
“That is why we are advocating for the government to revisit some policies so that builders can be fully engaged in policy management, especially within building control agencies, where builders will be officially recognized on every construction site.
“We believe the government is ready to partner with us. As part of this Builder’s Day celebration, we are engaging the entire community and the whole state to let people know that builders are on ground in the state.
“In Ekiti State, we believe the government is working tirelessly to ensure that there is no building collapse and we continue to emphasize that registered builders must be present on every construction site, working alongside other professionals in the built environment”.
