Builders Conference To Address Building Collapse

The Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has revealed that its 55th Annual Builders’ Conference, scheduled to hold from Tuesday, August 19th, to Friday, August 22nd, 2025, will bring together professionals and stakeholders to provide practical solutions to the country’s structural causes of building collapse.

The president of the Institute, Bldr. Sir. Alderton Ewa Ewa, FNIOB, said in a press briefing in Abuja that the theme of this year’s conference, “Advancing Builders’ Knowledge and Skills for Effective Enforcement of Building Regulatory Laws for Sustainable Development,” reflects the strong commitment to strengthening professional competence, enforcing building regulations, and promoting sustainable practices in the Nigerian built environment.

Sir Ewa, who said the conference also aligns with the national agenda for infrastructure quality, urban safety, and climate-conscious development, announced its opening ceremony on Wednesday, 20 August 2025, at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

“In Nigeria today, the safety and durability of our buildings depend not only on the existence of regulatory laws but on their effective enforcement. Builders, as one of the seven statutorily recognised professionals in the built environment, play a central role in ensuring that every stage of construction complies with approved designs, quality standards, and legal requirements.

“Unfortunately, building collapse and substandard construction incidents remain a major concern, often due to weak enforcement or lack of professional oversight. This conference aims to bridge that gap through capacity building, policy engagement, and professional collaboration,” he said.

Speaking further, the NIOB president stated that some states in Nigeria have already domesticated building regulatory laws and are actively enforcing them, while others are still in the process.

On the conference lineup, he said, “A keynote address by a distinguished national figure, Technical sessions on regulatory compliance, sustainable building practices, and digital innovations in construction management, Professional development workshops, Recognition and fellowship awards for distinguished individuals and stakeholders, and an exhibition of construction technologies and services.”