NIQS Urges Nigeria to Halt Waste and Cost Overruns on Infrastructure Projects

Nigeria cannot afford to waste more of its limited infrastructure funding, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors warned as it inducted 175 new members in Abuja.

NIQS President Aminu M. Bashir called for stronger cost controls and accountability in public projects. He said unrealistic estimates, cost overruns and abandoned construction continue to weaken development efforts and deepen the country’s infrastructure deficit.

Bashir described quantity surveyors as the “conscience of cost” in the built environment. Their responsibilities, he said, extend beyond preparing bills of quantities to cost planning, procurement advice, risk management, project monitoring and assessing value for money.

He urged the newly inducted professionals to keep their skills current and warned them not to allow qualifications to outpace competence. He also told them to resist pressure to inflate figures, manipulate project variations or overlook irregularities.

The NIQS president said practitioners would face tests when asked to approve questionable figures, certify incomplete work or compromise procurement procedures. He also urged the profession to play a more visible role in government and policymaking, where decisions involve billions of naira in construction spending.

The warning came during the institute’s 2026 National Workshop and Induction of New Members, held from August 25 to 27 at Nile University of Nigeria in Abuja. The event focused on infrastructure delivery, including project management, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, highway infrastructure and cost management.

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conscience of cost