TO encourage investment and to sanitise the building industry, Rivers State Government, has brought together professionals in private practice and some government officials to vet drawings of any sort, and recommend same for approval.
The new initiative, known as a “one-stop-shop,” began recently and is brain child of the Rivers State Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA). The partnership is among other things, aimed at eliminating time wasting, corrupt practices, touting and also to enhance the state’s revenue.
Unfolding this last week when the officials of the chapter paid a visit to The Guardian, the Chairman of the chapter, Mr. Emmanuel Dike, said the initiative has brought sanity into building approval process in Rivers State.
According to him, the one-stop-shop has reduced time limit of approval period to “at most, one month”. The partnership involves architects, engineers, town planners and the Special Adviser to the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Explaining the workings of the body, Dike said upon receiving an application, these professionals would vet it to ensure that the architectural drawing is in conformity with the best international practice, meet the structural requirements, including the planning and environmental regulations.
“The initiative has changed the face of building plans in Rivers State, by eliminating bottlenecks hitherto associated with approval process, eliminating quackery, touting and other anomalies. In Rivers State today, approval is being processed without tears”, said Dike.
On how to achieve mass housing delivery, the NIA Chairman hinted that the institute is working towards how to make alternative building materials attractive to the developers.
According to him, research is ongoing on how to exploit abundant local materials that are in consonance with Nigeria’s divers culture in building houses, looking at the peculiarity of the different ethnic groups.
“We need to look at the different ways the northerners, the Ijaws, the Urhobos, the Yorubas and other ethnic groups traditionally building their homes. This is the area we need to look into and certainly, we will get solution to produce affordable housing to the generality of our people”.
He also spoke on the forthcoming programme, tagged Architecture Week planned by the Rivers NIA, slated for July 9-12, 2013, at the Civic Centre, Port Harcourt. The event has as its Theme: “Oil and Gas Industry-Impact on Architecture and Environment in Nigeria”.
The four-day programme would bring together professionals in the built environment, businessmen from various sectors, the environmentalists, property developers, among others.
Dike noted: “With the growing complexity in the building and construction industry and the impact on oil and gas vis-à-vis agricultural activities, the programme is to equip architects and other professionals with current skills and business competencies necessary to compete in today’s professional and business environment”, adding that international experts in the related fields have been invited to deliver lecture at the occasion.
Similarly, topics on activities that may cause environmental impacts including drilling, exploration, waste management, noise pollution, destruction of cultural resources and solutions will be discussed. Others are Architectural design and new techniques- building information modeling, Business Management for Building Professionals, advanced Land Planning, Site and Infrastructure Systems Development’, he concluded.
Companies who have business interests in Rivers State and Nigeria have thrown their weight behind the event to ensure a successful outing including Total Nigeria PLC, Delta Airlines and Kon –X Ltd.
Expected to grace the occasion are the Rivers State Governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, who will host the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who is the Special Guest of Honour, Governors from South-South, Ministerial of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Deziani Allison Madueke, among others.
Niche PR, the event coordinators confirmed that there have been over 1,000 hits on the newly launched NIA, Rivers website, exhibition and participation registrations, which are encouraging indications that the target expectation for, and outcomes from the event will be met.
On the entourage of the Chairman are the Vice Chairman, Mrs. Chioma Ogbonna, the treasure of the institute, Mr. Greg Umanah and a team from Niche PR firm, led by Mrs. Marcella Iyitor.
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