Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) has attributed abandoned projects scattered across the country to the lack of professional involvement in the costing and budgeting process at the inception of infrastructure projects.
This is even as the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi and contractors handling some federal road projects are engaged in sharp disagreement over their (contractors) demand for variation of some road projects amidst the threat of abandonment.
President of Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria, Obafemi Onashile, who disclosed this while speaking on the sidelines of the 2024 Annual Assembly of the Board and induction of newly registered quantity surveyors held in Abuja, lamented that professionals trained to do infrastructure costings were not involved in costing for projects.
According to him, “Now, who has budgeted? Who projected what the amount should be? Is the person qualified to do it? So, if the budgeting and costing have been done by somebody not qualified to do it, then there will be problems.”
He said, “We have situations where accountants do budgets for infrastructure projects. We have situations where engineers are doing budgets for infrastructure projects.
“These are not professionals trained and given licenses to do project costs. So, this is the top of the keywords.
“Let the right requisite professional do the costing so that adequate budgeting is made for the project. When adequate budgeting is made, the project will be executed successfully without any interest or abandonment.”
Onashile noted that because the professionals were not carried along at the inception of costing the projects, funding often becomes the problem.
He said, “As I said earlier, funding is the major reason why projects could be abandoned. Now, the other issue is whether the funding is adequate.
“One, I said it must be provided. Two, it must be monitored. But three, the adequacy.”
He said the major challenge facing the quantity surveying professionals is the need for more patronage and commissioning of its members in government projects.
He said, “There were challenges before, I assumed, and I’m also tackling them upon my assumption of office.
“One of the major challenges is the lack of patronage and commissioning of our members of quantity surveyors in government projects. We believe this is a deficiency not only for quantity surveyors but also for other professionals in the construction industry.
The first major challenge is getting work, getting commissions for quantity surveyors, and registering quantity surveyors to earn a living.
“The second challenge is the perceived lack of complete understanding of the importance of quantity surveyors. Quantity surveyors’ contribution to the economy of the nation is enormous. And that’s one of the reasons why we have chosen the theme for this year’s annual assembly.
“Two, we’re also enabling the government and ministries to speak out because we realise there’s a division of governance.
“You have the legislature, you have the executive, and you have the judiciary. And there must be synergy among the three. Where one is holding down the second, the legislature is holding down the executive in performance, which is to the detriment of the nation and its citizens.
