Determined to entrench international best practices and a more standardized building industry, the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has called on government to promulgate law to enforce the National Building Code. The institute also advocated the formation of consortium of experts in the building industry in order to encourage and improve construction project delivery.

These were parts of the resolutions reached at the end of the 44th Annual General Meeting/Conference of the institute held recently in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The theme of the conference attended by over 1,000 delegates comprising professional builders, graduate builders and representatives of students from building schools across Nigeria and allied professionals was "Construction Industry Development: Collaboration, Innovations and Capacity Building".

In the communiqué signed by the Publicity Secretary of the institute, Bldr. Danjuma Abalaka, NIOB urged construction professionals within the country to endeavour "to collaborate with professionals outside the country in order to internationalize construction process and output".

The conference called for collaboration in research and development activities among academia in the building profession at home and abroad. It stressed the need for professionals in the building industry to "put social, environmental and economic sustainability of every project ahead of financial gains, power and compassion".

The communique added, "Professional bodies and academic institutions should encourage and organize more seminars and workshops to educate members on the necessity and benefits of innovations/innovative practices as well as to foster unity among the professionals in the building industry.

"Green construction and energy efficiency practices as well as training should be introduced so as to sustain the environment."