Nigeria's Housing Minister Vows to Regulate Built Environment Before Exit

Nigeria's Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, is determined to ensure the regulation of the country's built environment before concluding his term. He stressed that stronger oversight is essential for improving standards, enhancing public safety, and boosting the sector's economic contribution.

Darma made these remarks in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). He revealed that the ministry is in the final stages of developing a policy framework designed to create a unified regulatory system for the industry. This framework is slated for stakeholder consultation later this month before submission to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

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Before I leave this office, we must regulate the industry. It is one of the landmark achievements that I have set my mind on doing.

The proposed policy aims to tackle persistent challenges plaguing the sector, including frequent building collapses, the prevalence of unqualified practitioners (quackery), poor adherence to building codes, and the lack of a cohesive regulatory structure. "Before I leave this office, we must regulate the industry. It is one of the landmark achievements that I have set my mind on doing," Darma stated.

He emphasized that a sector as vital as the built environment cannot continue to operate without effective regulation, insisting on the adherence to uniform standards and codes by all professionals. "There must be certain codes that all of us are responsible to follow and obey. We cannot have an industry as big as what we have and quacks are controlling it," he added. Darma also called for active participation from COREN and other professional bodies in the upcoming stakeholder engagement process, recognizing engineers as crucial partners in the ministry's mission to elevate the quality and safety of housing and infrastructure nationwide.

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There must be certain codes that all of us are responsible to follow and obey. We cannot have an industry as big as what we have and quacks are controlling it.