By Joyce Onuora
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Kene C. Nzekwe, has announced a partnership with the Rivers State Government to enhance the engagement of quantity surveyors in the execution of infrastructural projects across the state.
President Nzekwe disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, as part of activities marking the NIQS National Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Port Harcourt.
According to Nzekwe, the leadership of NIQS visited the governor to commend him for his administration’s strides in infrastructural development and efforts to improve the living standards of Rivers State residents.
“We commend the governor for infrastructural development, and we also thank them for the hospitality of the government and the people in the state and for providing an enabling environment. We are pleased with the progress the governor is making with the people of the state.
“We are here to collaborate with the government. We try to make the formal and informal sectors understand that engaging quantity surveyors in procurement and cost management will ensure greater value for money deployed in projects.
“We are here to tell the Rivers State Government that, with the engagement of quantity surveyors, no matter how small the resources, it can be used to achieve project objectives,” Nzekwe stated.
In his response, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara expressed gratitude to the leadership of NIQS and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with quantity surveyors to ensure effective project delivery.
The governor noted that his government would support civil servants in the state by facilitating requisite certifications to enable them to perform their duties effectively.
Governor Fubara further commended the members of the institute for their contributions to the state and nation, urging them to maintain high professionalism and ethical standards in discharging their duties.
He assured them of the state’s commitment to engaging their expertise to minimize failed projects.
Meanwhile, the three-day international conference and AGM brought together participants from across the country to deliberate on pressing issues in the construction sector.
Discussions focused on preventing project abandonment, addressing building collapses and structural defects, and advocating for regulatory frameworks to curb the involvement of unqualified individuals in construction projects.
