Quantity Surveyors elect new officers, seek roles in rail projects

The Lagos chapter of Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has urged the Federal government to involve indigenous consultants in the ongoing railway projects across the country. The Institute, which recently elected new members to carry out its activities in the next two years, queried engagement of foreigners on the railway projects.

Immediate past chairman of Lagos chapter of the institute, Mr. Bamidele Mafimidiwo stated this at a media parley in Lagos. The former chairman, who was not comfortable with the importation of professionals on the railway projects, said its members could be involved in the measuring of railways, roads, and bridges.

He said” There was no need to import expatriates to do the work when Nigerians can be contracted to do the jobs as consultants. We have competent professionals and specialists in measuring railways, roads, and bridges”, he said.

Mafimidiwo also lamented lack of general awareness of quantity surveyors’ roles in the construction industry, saying it has been a major challenge to the profession.

Describing infrastructure as key to the development of the country, he said, the Institute has embarked on continuous advocacy visits to Quantity Surveying firms and contracting organizations to build competence needed to tackle the nation’s infrastructural challenges. On his part, the new chairman, Mr. Ayuba Akere attributed lack of awareness of the quantity surveying profession to the relative newness of the practice in the country.

According to him, Quantity surveying is relatively new compared to other professions in the built environment, hence the poor perception by the public. He said the institute has embarked on several activities aimed at increasing visibility of the profession.

Some of the activities, he said, include career visits to secondary schools in Lagos to catch them young; advocacy visits to government establishments and yearly lectures on contemporary issues. On his achievements in the last two years, Mafimidiwo said, the institute has produced new architectural designs and source some funds for the proposed building of NIQS Lagos house.

He also stressed that the Institute has revamped its cooperative society incorporated in 2008, while the vexing issues with the past executives, inhibiting progress on the institutes’ 40 hectares of land in Mowe, Ogun state has been settled.

Credit: Guardian