Fashola Urges Professional Builders To Develop Effective Strategies And Framework To Ensure Project Quality The Hon. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has urged members of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) to develop for implementation, effective strategies, framework and benchmarks for ensuring the proper application of the project quality management plan of building projects in Nigeria. He said this will guarantee the attainment of quality in project delivery as well as regulate and control the practice of the building profession. The Minister said this today at the 15th Induction / Investiture ceremony of New Builders held in Abuja. The Minister who was represented by the Director, Public Building and Housing Department in the Ministry, Arc. Sani Gidado, said that the present administration was determined to ensure the enactment of enabling legislation on the National Building Code which includes Project Quality Management Plan in contract documentation for full implementation. Fashola identified cases of building failures and collapse in Nigeria as a clear manifestation of failings of the designs and the construction processes and stated that the onus lies with the critical stakeholders to undertake a conscientious overhaul of the present system to curb the menace. He commended the Council for its contributions in the quest to achieve sanity in the built industry especially on its consistency in contributions and recommendations to the National Building Code and the National Council on Housing. In his welcome address, Chairman of CORBON, Bldr.Prof. Bala Kabir said the Council has the primary responsibility of establishing and implementing standards of education and practice for Building Technology provided in the Builders Registration Act. He said some of the specific functions in the Act include: to regulate the activities of Builders through registration and licensure; define the scope of practice of building technology; set standards for practice and continuing education of Builders and discipline registered and license holders. He said that the induction is another effort to disenfranchise quacks from carrying out their illegal activities in the industry and admonished the inductees to be building production managers who will ensure good quality project delivery at all times. Guest speaker at the occasion, Prof Akin Akindoyeni also urged the Builders to maintain standards and quality and also go for expertise in the profession, adding that it is incumbent on the inductees and others to keep abreast of modern technology in the industry. A total of 106 members were inducted into the Council.   ...

Deployment Of Solar Energy Attains Milestone As FG Signs PCOA Agreement With Two Developers *   Agreement is key aspect of the finalization of the PPA signed last year between Federal Government and 14 Solar Power developers *  Fashola presides at event, reiterates importance of Nigerians investing in the nations economy *  Assures Nigerians that the aspirations to see more renewable energy are being met with results  imminent The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN, Tuesday in Abuja presided over the signing of the Put/Call Option Agreements (PCOA) with two Solar Power developers. – Afrinegia Nigeria Limited and CT Cosmos Nigeria Limited. The Agreement, which was co-ordinated by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), is a key aspect of the finalization of the Power Purchase Agreement which the Federal Government signed with 14 Solar Power developers in July/August last year to deal with any premature termination of the PPA. Afrinegia Nigeria Limited will deliver 50MW while CT Cosmos will deliver 70MW to the Grid on completion. Making his remarks at the event, the Minister who described the signing of the PCOA as a milestone, again stressed the importance of Nigerians investing locally as a way of supporting the ongoing efforts by Government in rebuilding the country. He noted that experience had shown that whenever the investment weather got stormy and cloudy in the country, it was the persistence, perseverance and indomitable spirit of the indigenous investors that would support Government adding that the moving investors would simply look for calmer investment weather. According to the Minister, “Sometimes when the weather gets stormy and cloudy, like it has been a few months back, some of the first people to go are the moving investors as they look for calmer weather. It is the persistence and perseverance and the indomitable spirit of Nigerians who have invested in Nigeria that will help to support the efforts that Mr President and the Vice President and the Nigerian Government are making to rebuild the Nigeria that we want to see”. Thanking the two local investors for their confidence in the nation’s economy, Fashola said the Solar development initiative was in line with the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Programme pointing out that one of the five priority actions of the 60 interventions in the Plan was Energy Supply which was the responsibility of his Ministry. The Minister said the initiative also sat well with the objective of his Ministry to get Incremental Power wherever it was available, safe and environmental friendly adding that it also agreed appropriately with the Global trend in renewables and Nigeria’s commitment as a signatory to the Agreement to seek more sources of renewable Energy and deliver energy “in the way that it sustains the Planet and human life for a more enduring period”. “It sits very well with our Ministry’s Energy Mix to deliver 30 per cent of our total energy capacity through renewables by 2030”, he said adding, “So it has ticked all of the right boxes; what remains now is to tick the final box to get power to peoples’ homes”. Recalling a similar ceremony when Government signed the Power Purchase Agreements sometime last year, Fashola, who noted that he made it clear that it was the starting of a journey that could take several months or a couple of years, declared, “We have reached a major milestone in that journey today”. The Minister, who again thanked the investors and wished them success, assured Nigerians that all of the aspirations to see more renewable energy were being met “with Policy Initiatives, action backed movements”, adding, “The journey has started and the results are imminent”. He noted that Solar represented only one of the sources of renewable energy that government was currently pursuing adding that there were also hydros and Government was similarly procuring six more hydro dams as well as working in Dadin Kowa, Zungeru and Gurara. According to Fashola, “We also are very near close to concluding the signing of the contract to commence the biggest hydro plant in Nigeria-the Mambila. So the road to renewables here is really exciting and I am looking forward to seeing what the road will look like in a couple of months”. The Minister, who expressed the hope that “sooner rather than later” Nigerians would begin to feel the impact of the companies with energy supply especially to communities that were yet to experience and benefit from access to energy, also on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, thanked the companies for their investment belief and investment commitment. Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary (Power), Mr. Louis Edozien, expressed joy at the signing ceremony which he said marked a very important day in the Power Sector describing the event as the last bus stop in the process of getting a grid solar power. According to the Permanent Secretary, the event represented the last bus stop as the Ministry had, in the last one and a half years surmounted several hurdles leading to the day’s event including getting the PPA signed and getting the projects to financial closure adding that the last bus stop to the Financial closure was the signing of the Put/Call Option Agreement (PCOA)which was the day’s event.   Edozien, who said he would be happy to work with the two indigenous companies declared, “Here we are; this is the last bus stop and we hope and expect that after this, the next stop in the journey will be power on the grid”. In her remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of NBET, Dr. Marilyn Amobi, also described the day as a very important one for both NBET and the entire Power Sector expressing delight that the process was now at a very high level of conclusion leading to the actual execution of the contract. Also present at the signing ceremony, which, according to NBET “marks the end of the development stage of Nigeria’s quest to deploy grid solar to the nation’s energy mix” were the Chairman of Afrinegia, Mr Bestman Uwadia who signed on behalf of Afrinegia and his CT Cosmos counterpart, Mr Phillip Chukwueke, who signed on behalf of his organisation. The event was also witnessed by the companies’ international lenders group led by European International Bank and AfDB and also their Engineering Procurement Contractors, AEE Power of Spain as well as their International legal advisory team led by Jones Day Solicitors. While Afrinegia has its solar project at Onyi Kokona LGA of Nassarawa State, CT Cosmos is developing its own project at Panyam, Mangu LGA, Plateau State. ...

Federal Government Repositions FMBN To Strengthen Affordable Housing Delivery In Nigeria The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, has commended President Buhari’s administration decision to recapitalize the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) with additional 500 billion naira to make mortgage facilities accessible to all Nigerians, adding that the government's gesture would further reduce the housing deficit in the country. The Minister stated this during a courtesy visit to the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State in continuation of his inspection of on-going works on the National Housing Programme (NHP) in the North-Central geo-political zone. The Governor, Alhaji Tanko Almakura who was represented by the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Silas Ali Agara, received the Minister as the later thanked the state government for the collaborative effort through providing land for the NHP project in the state. Hon. Shehuri said that the federal government through the ministry was constructing 76 housing units in the state under the NHP as a fulfillment of Mr. President's Campaign promise to provide affordable housing delivery to the people. In his response, the Deputy Governor appreciated the federal government for initiating the programme, adding that this will have a multiplier effect on the economy of the nation by creating employment; enhancing expertise on professionals in the built industry and creating local content market. He assured the Minister that the state will continue to partner with the ministry to ensure the successful completion of the project. The Minister later proceeded to inspect the 76-unit Housing Estate comprising 4 units of one-bedroom, 48 units of two-bedroom and 24 units of three-bedroom apartments. He expressed satisfaction with the location and the level of works done so far. Also, the Minister inspected the construction work which is at various levels of completion at the 80-unit NHP project site in Makurdi, Benue State, where he met with contractors, artisans, food vendors, masons and labourers. The Federal Controller of Housing, Engr. Patrick Nziwu gave the breakdown as 4 units of one-bedroom, 48 units of two-bedroom and 24 units of three-bedroom apartments. In Jos, Plateau State capital, Hon. Shehuri also paid a courtesy call on the Executive Governor, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonny Gwanle Tyoden. The Minister condoled with the government and the people of Plateau State over the recent death of two of their illustrious sons, the Honourable Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Song Galadima and the husband of the former Deputy Governor of the state, Mrs. Paullen Tallen. While stating his mission in the state, the Minister expressed appreciation to the government for providing land for the construction of the housing programme, nothing that inspite of the present economic situation of the country the administration is resolute in fulfilling its campaign promises to Nigerians including that of housing.  The Minister appealed to the state government to expedite action on its promise to construct a feeder road to link the NHP project site to the major road. In his response, Prof. Tyoden expressed gratitude to the federal government through the ministry for "deeming it fit to make Plateau State one of the beneficiaries of the National Housing Programme".  He commended the government on its planned recapitalization of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) to the tune of N500 billion, nothing that this would encourage home ownership and affordability. He assured the Minister that action would be taken on the construction of the feeder road to link the NHP project site location. ...