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Building collapse not ending soon, say project managers

The-collapsed-building
Building collapse

The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria has raised concern over the menace of building collapse in the country.

The organisation warned that the trend would continue if the government refused to engage project managers in construction activities.

Building collapses are common in Nigeria where millions live in dilapidated structures and construction standards were often flouted.

Enforcement of safety regulations and use of shoddy materials have been highlighted after a high-rise building under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi District of Lagos, killing at least 45 people in 2021.

Ten people were killed when a three-storey building collapsed in the Ebute-Metta area of Lagos in May 2022.

The government had called for improved construction standards, describing the frequency of building collapses increasingly embarrassing.

An architect and a fellow of the CIPM, Otunba Dejo Olawoye, described Nigeria as a country with the highest number of abandoned projects in Africa.

He stated these on Friday in Abuja during the induction of about 100 members who were inducted into the CIPM, a statutory organisation, established to train, approve and discipline all project managers within the nation.

He said, “Nigeria is a country with the highest number of abandoned projects in Africa, maybe in the world. Most 65 per cent of the projects were started 20 years ago and never completed.

“Even the ones that were completed are the ones that were not well managed. It’s one thing to do projects, it’s another thing that its serves its purpose.

“In the last one year, there have been much more collapsed building than ever in Nigeria; this actually a failure of government engaging project managers.

“Project managers are the end of every projects that make sure that the project is done and benefits are coming from it.”

Speaking at event, the President/Chairman Governing Council of the Institute, Dr. Victoria Okoronkwo, said that events of the recent times had challenged the institute a great deal and in an unusual manner.

She said the CIPMN have decided to concentrate most of its valuable energies in seeking for ways to enhance value-added mandates to not just their members, but to the society at large, without focusing much on the negative tendencies and its consequential distractions.

Okoronkwo said that was aimed at becoming alive to the statutory mandates with a view to exploring available measures required to support the government in addressing the myriads of challenges bedeviling the overall project management value chain in Nigeria.

She cited obvious instances of continued building collapses in the country, efforts to repair the terminal at MM2 in Lagos International Airport, poor state of Nigeria roads and other capital projects across the country

https://punchng.com/building-collapse-not-ending-soon-say-project-managers/

National admin

Three years after enabling act, CIPMN to commence project management regulation

 

Almost three years after President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) (Establishment) Act (2018), the institute is now set to regulate project management practice in Nigeria.
 
The Act empowers the institute to license all project management practitioners; withdraw the license of erring members and prohibit non-registered members from engaging in or practicing in Nigeria.

It also empowers the body to prohibit non-registered members from being appointed head or heading project management team/department in any organization, both in the private and public sectors. It is also to accredit institutions of higher learning offering courses in project management leading to the award of a degree or diploma.
 
The President/Chairman of the Governing Council of the institute, Dr. Victoria Okoronkwo, said the body would, in pursuit of its mandate, organise a training session in Abuja for its old and new members on December 1 and 2, adding that it would induct new members a day after the training.
 
She listed the membership categories of the institute to include fellow members, chartered members, associate members, graduate members, student members, honorary fellows, and corporate member

 
She explained: “A fellow member must be a person of high professional or administrative standing that has served the institute and has at least seven years’ experience in a senior project management position in a private or public sector organization while a chartered member must have passed all examinations prescribed by the council with a minimum of three years experience. A person qualifies to be an associate member if he/she possesses requisite qualifications from other fields of study as may be determined from time to time by the council.”
 
On the forthcoming training, Okoronkwo stated that the training would focus on adapting project management methodologies to suit Nigeria’s unique environment.
 
She said: “Project management in Nigeria needs more investment into, and delivering projects in the country is a different experience from what you will find in the United Kingdom and the U.S. This is why CIPMN decided to create a new project management delivery methodology that is unique to Nigeria and takes into consideration the ethnic, religious, political, and cultural diversities and how they impact project delivery.

“Our DUCAP methodology has been developed with insights from project managers, consultants, subject matter experts in different project delivery sectors, educationalists, and numerous other project delivery stakeholders in Nigeria.
 
“The methodology has also seen a wealth of experience from contributors as regards the challenges of delivering projects in Nigeria and Africa at large. This methodology is underpinned by four key elements (pillar element, activity element, process element, and vision element). The learning has also been taken from the PRINCE 2, PMP, and agile methodologies.
 
“A full saturation of this methodology will see the days of abandoned projects in Nigeria come to an end. This project delivery methodology was wholly developed in Nigeria by Nigerians for Nigeria and Africa at large.”

 

National admin

NNPC seeks special courts for prosecution of oil thieves

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd. has called for the establishment of special courts for the prosecution of oil thieves in the country.

Mr Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, made the call on Thursday in Abuja when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Upstream, investigating the loses of Nigeria crude oil production to theft .

He disclosed that the country lost over 1.5 billion dollars to oil theft between January and March 2022.

He said that the  special courts had become necessary to unmask those behind illegal crude oil refining.

“We must have special courts to try those behind this business. This is an elite business, it is not done by poor people,” he said.

He expressed worry over loss of crude oil production to activities of vandals and oil thieves, adding that stern security measures were being considered to restore production situation and improve revenue.

He also disclosed that efforts were on top gear to ensure the situation was addressed, stressing that there would be tremendous progress within the next two months.

Kyari said thieves and vandals had rendered some of the facilities useless as the activities of vandals and thieves had got to a level that the NNPC had to shut down some facilities.

According to him, the NNPC can no longer sustain production as expected because of the activities of the oil thieves and vandals.

“It came to a level where we could only receive 300 barrel per day,” he said.

The lawmakers, however, said it was time  to declare a state of emergency in conveying crude oil and mandated the strict monitoring  of  pipelines.

Politics admin

Choose leaders that will guarantee completion of ingoing projects – Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing,  Mr Babatunde Fashola, has urged Nigerians that in the 2023 polls they should vote only for political leaders who will guarantee the completion of ongoing projects in the country.

Fashola gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja when a delegation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by its President, Mr Quadri Olaleye, paid him a courtesy visit.

The TUC delegation had raised the fear of possible abandonment of ongoing projects at the end of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fashola urged Nigerians to consciously vote for authentic leaders who would ensure the completion of ongoing projects.

Speaking further on the fear of owing contractors due to the paucity of funds, the minister said the tax credit intervention of N621 billion by the NNPC had helped in ensuring payment to contractors.

“Debt for infrastructure is an investment in the future and if we set out to do only what we can complete that means we will not do anything,“ he said.

On the concern of TUC that its members were not benefitting from the National Housing Project (NHP), Fashola assured them that they would benefit if they  applied.

He assured them that more housing estates would soon be inaugurated and the delivery of new state secretariats in Nasarawa, Zamfara, and Ekiti.

Earlier, the TUC president had commended the minister for the projects that had been completed and inaugurated nationwide.

Earlier, Olaleye had said the union was concerned about the other ongoing constructions that might not be completed before 2023 and also due to paucity of funds.

He listed some of the projects to include the 2nd Niger Bridge and Lagos -Ibadan Expressway, among others.

According to him, the union’s concern is that if the construction companies are not paid, they will be out of business which would have multiplier effects on TUC members.

Business admin

Over 5,000 businesses empowered through Lagos Digital Summit – Islimfit

Adewale Adetona, better known as Islimfit, the brain behind the Lagos Digital Summit (LDS), has disclosed that the initiative has empowered more than 5,000 businesses and individuals with different digital skills since inception.

Islimfit, who reflected on the impact of the life-changing digital platform for start-ups and young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, lauded the success made so far, stating that the idea when the LDS was conceived in 2017 was to gather between 50 and 60 digital marketing professionals.

The LDS is a free platform targeted at brand and communication managers, techpreneurs, digital media strategists, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners/managers, start-ups, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), corporate bodies, tech compliant, and adaptive firms.

The programme draws at least 1,000 participants yearly, with its podium graced by speakers who are leading lights in their respective industries.

“Lagos Digital Summit started in 2017 with just an idea in my small shared apartment back then in Lagos with my friend who is now in Canada. The goal back then was simply to facilitate a platform for the convergence of 50 to 60 digital marketing professionals and business thought leaders for the advancement of SMEs and Digital Media enthusiasts within our network,” Islimfit  said.

Continuing, Islimfit said: “Five years down the line, despite being faced with plenty of challenges, it’s been a big success story. We have had the privilege of empowering over 5,000 businesses and individuals with diverse digital marketing skills”.

According to Islimfit, the purpose of LDS was established to “harness the constant innovations in a fast-paced digital world for the advancement of the society and enrichment of its burgeoning population, especially the millennials, borne out of the need for a platform to facilitate the convergence of great minds and coalescence of ground-breaking ideas that will shape the nation’s digital landscape through engaging discourse and empowerment.”

In the bid to ensure inclusiveness, Islimfit also created a vlog, an offline equivalent of the LDS, for the benefit of those unable to attend the event.

“My desire to make an impact and contribute to the growth of upcoming tech professionals birthed the YouTube Channel. Also, I wanted to replicate what I do offline with Lagos Digital Summit in an online manner,” Islimfit said in a recent question and answer interactive session.

 

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