The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has called for stronger professional advocacy and greater involvement of builders in policymaking to address Nigeria’s housing deficit.

The institute’s President, Daniel Kolade, made the call on Monday ahead of the 56th Builders’ Conference and Annual General Meeting scheduled for Aug. 18 to 22 in Abuja.

Kolade said greater participation of builders in policy formulation and implementation would help promote safe, affordable and sustainable housing delivery across the country.

He said the theme of the conference, “Repositioning the Building Profession: Advocacy and Policy Influence on Housing Delivery for a Sustainable Built Environment,” was timely in view of the challenges facing Nigeria’s housing sector.

According to him, builders should go beyond their traditional roles in construction and play a more active part in shaping housing policies and standards.

He identified national housing programmes, enforcement of building regulations, sustainable infrastructure development, skills development, professional training and workforce certification as areas requiring stronger advocacy.

Kolade also called for closer collaboration among government, professionals, industry stakeholders and relevant institutions to improve the safety, affordability and sustainability of Nigeria’s built environment.

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Also speaking, the institute’s 3rd Vice President and Chairman of the Marketing and Corporate Affairs Committee, Dr Adeshina Aladeloba, said preparations for the conference had been concluded.

He described the event as an opportunity for stakeholders to examine challenges confronting the building industry, exchange knowledge and develop practical solutions to improve housing delivery.

The NIOB National Publicity Secretary, Usenobong Atangaedi, said the response from builders, corporate organisations and other stakeholders showed growing interest in advancing safe, quality and sustainable housing delivery.

Atangaedi said the need to reposition the sector required a collective effort from all built-environment professionals, including builders, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, estate surveyors and valuers, and town planners.

He said addressing the challenges in Nigeria’s built environment required greater collaboration among the various professional groups. (NAN)