HOPING to garner support within the framework of national economic policy to reduce escalating cost in the construction sector, the Federal Government recently appealed to the members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) to show competence and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.The government observed that Poor project management skills result in cost overruns, project delivery delays and abandoned projects that accounts for 30 to 35 per cent additional cost of doing business in Sub Saharan African countries, including Nigeria.Making the remark at a two-day workshop on Competencies for Construction Project Management organised by the Institute in Abuja, theMinister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amma Pepple, said that that the story of failed development and poverty in Nigeria is a story about poor construction project management, stressing that provision of housing, roads, railways, power plants, hospitals among other infrastructure are crucial to Nigeria's economic development.She explained that the key part of President Goodluck Jonathan's transformation agenda is the move towards Private Public Partnerships in the finance and management of key economic infrastructure, which allow states to focus its resources on important social tasks such as improving access to and quality of education and social services.Pepple noted that transformation requires expertise in Construction Project Management, in order to design technical and commercial aspects of contracts, evaluate stakeholder value and provide for dispute resolution.Stressing that construction project management competencies are critical to the development of the country, the minister expressed government's determination to drastically cut down on the cost of business operations in Nigeria.The minister observed that the theme of the workshop, 'Essential Competencies for Construction Project Management is in line with the national transformation agenda of the current administration, adding that the more advanced construction project management competencies are, the greater efficiency of Nigerian businesses and the number of Nigerians they are able to employ.The minister assured that government would create a reputation for Nigeria as a haven for private capital based on a record of well-designed and executed PPP construction projects. She also called for collaboration between the public and private sectors in closing Nigeria's infrastructure gap.Earlier, NIQS President, Mr. Agele Alufohai highlighted the rapid changes in the nation's economy and how they affect Quantity Surveyors and demand more sophisticated project management competencies.Alufohai stated that as Nigerian government develops the capacity, both in a commercial and political sense, to manage public private partnerships, the country would witness construction boom financed by private capital.He argued that as construction professionals with an interest in project management, there is the need to develop knowledge of economic policies, law, and finance while government must develop capacities in these fields at the level of the civil service.According to him, relying on consultants or donor institutions result in a situation where the people closest to the highest policy decision makers have not properly and fully internalized the relationship between the sanctity of contracts, private sector investment and the creation of more jobs and better livelihoods for Nigerians.The president pointed out that funds under management in the coffers of some private sector financiers is sometimes, the total Nigerian budget, adding that accessing the funds to construct infrastructure ' either airports, roads or power stations could only be achieved if the Government of Nigeria continues to give investors the confidence that the law rather than personal whims and caprices guide PPP contracts.He commended and pledges the support of the institute for the Transformation Agenda of the present administration, describing it as a roadmap for growth and a more successful future for Nigeria, which must be followed with dedication, sincerity and consistency.
Click here to read full news..
