Adenike Ayanda, the first female chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) Lagos chapter, bares her mind on topical issues in this interview with Special Correspondent, DADA JACKSON.
What is quantity surveying
Quantity surveying (QS) is a science-based course requiring mathematical and analytical skills and my strong subjects in school were mathematics, further mathematics, physics, chemistry, and geography with strong analytical skills.
I was initially thinking of studying architecture/chemical engineering right from secondary school as I didn’t quite know about quantity surveying at the time.
Then I was first counselled by one of my secondary school physics teachers to study QS and later again advised to study QS by my brother in-law who is an architect, as both of them could see me performing better as a quantity surveyor with my skills.
They also encouraged me that QS is a very good profession and that I would not regret studying it. So, with the counselling I had, I did apply to study quantity surveying at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU).
I did not get to study QS by error, and by the Grace of God, I have no regret today.
Vision
My vision is to put the QS profession in the public domain because most members of the public do not know what it entails to be a quantity surveyor.
Most people mix the roles of quantity surveyors with those of either land surveyors or estate surveyors, which should not be the case, as the three professions have distinct roles to perform, even though they all belong to the surveying family.
Role of quantity surveyor in construction chain
The quantity surveyor is the expert who is concerned with financial probity in the conceptualisation, planning, and execution of construction development projects, both new and refurbishment works.
He is the development costs adviser in the building and other engineering projects.
Services provided by the quantity surveyor include
• Feasibility studies of capital projects
• Cost modelling, including estimates, budgeting, planning, monitoring and control, et cetera
• Contract documentations
• Contract management, including preparation of valuations, variations claims, financial statements and final accounts, et cetera
• Project management, including drawing up clients’ briefs, advise on selection of design teams, drawing up programmes of activities and monitoring progress to achieve desired objectives, et cetera
• Direct labour projects involving preparation of material schedules, supervision of material purchases, coordination of all activities, et cetera
• Arbitration and expert witnesses
In the construction industry, quantity surveyors are engaged as cost consultants or project managers to perform the above listed roles.
Professional body of quantity surveyors
The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) was founded in 1969 by a group of Nigerians who trained, qualified, and practised 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 (RICS) of the United Kingdom, the body that performs the same role in the United Kingdom.
Incessant building collapse
The issue of incessant building collapse is an embarrassment to those of us who are professionals in the built environment.
This is because a large number of buildings that are collapsing have not been constructed by professionals, but rather, they are mostly built by developers who have virtually taken over the building construction process.
For instance, out of 10 buildings, you would be surprised to find that just about two or three would have been done by professionals.
It is important that members of the public or even corporate bodies who want to engage in construction should patronise professionals in order to avert collapse of buildings.
In the construction industry, every Dick, Tom, and Harry can come in. It is about time that members of the built environment began to enforce strict adherence to professionalism in respect of those who engage in construction.
Other major factors responsible for the incessant collapse of buildings is the use of inferior building materials by mainly quacks, and also the desire of most developers to want to cut corners or make huge profits.
We should not also forget the tendency of some developers who do not adhere to specifications.
Way forward
Simple. The government should patronise registered professionals in the construction process as they have been adequately trained in this enterprise and will ensure that right pegs are put in round holes to ensure efficiency.
The regulatory bodies should sanction defaulters by way of sealing premises that have not complied with building regulations.
And finally, the government should ensure that contractors build according to approved plans, rather than the resort to illegal conversion.
Land Use Act
My take on this issue is that the Act should not be totally abrogated; instead, ambiguous aspects of the Act should be amended.
If we abrogate the Act, it may bring about disorder in the system, hence the need for it to be reviewed to bring sanity to the system.
I think the governor’s consent should be reviewed in order to reduce the abuse that Section is currently subjecting those who are of different political beliefs.
Mass housing
Mass housing should be the best thing to happen to Nigerians.
There are three basic things that are germane to human existence namely: food, housing, and clothing. Thus when people have affordable housing, their problem is partly solved.
I suggest that the Pension Fund should be used to provide mass housing for the people. I do not believe that only private people should be engaged in the provision of housing because their primary motive is to make profit.
Aside that, the type of houses they would build may not be within the reach of the poor, hence the purpose of building the houses in the first place would have been defeated.
People should be able to access loans for the purchase of houses at a single digit interest from commercial banks.
My appeal to the government is to initiate the process of establishing a Construction Bank for the construction industry to help people who want to access loans for their houses get loans at a single digit interest rate.
National Building Code
Members of the seven professional bodies in the built environment should continue to put pressure on the government to ensure a speedy passage of the National Building Code.
I learnt that the draft bill of the code had undergone second reading waiting for the third reading, so we should not relent in our request that the National Assembly should do the needful by passing the draft bill during the current eight Assembly.