Exhibitors, clients express concerns about Archibuilt 2015

Archibuilt, the annual gathering of manufacturers of building materials who display their products and interact with the general public ended last Friday in Abuja. Exhibitors and participants expressed diverse concerns. Paint manufacturer, Intercolour Industries Ltd which has participated in Archibuilt in the last nine years had great time at the show last week. Ezechukwu Clems […]

Archibuilt, the annual gathering of manufacturers of building materials who display their products and interact with the general public ended last Friday in Abuja. Exhibitors and participants expressed diverse concerns.

Paint manufacturer, Intercolour Industries Ltd which has participated in Archibuilt in the last nine years had great time at the show last week. Ezechukwu Clems who is National Sales Manager said his company was able to create awareness on uncommon painting practices.
He said, “Our decorative paint has characteristics of all intercolour products. All visitors have left with one thing – it could be quality, beauty or affordability. Our paint has long life span.”
Clems said visitors came with testimonies saying their experience with the use of the paint had been positive, urging the company to keep it up. He acknowledged that his company made huge sales and had commitments from clients.
Samuel Olupitan who has attended Archibuilt for four years representing Metrotiles Nig. Ltd. was satisfied with the turn of events but he complained that the cost of getting a stand increases every year. He said in his first appearance, he paid N300,000 for the space but that has increased to N375,000 now – that is N25,000 increase a year.
“But we’ve met people ordinarily we wouldn’t have met,” he noted adding that the company had reduced its prices a week to the event. His suggestion to organizers of Archibuilt was: “It should be twice a year for us to meet more clients.” Metrotiles Nig. Ltd produces stone coated roofing tiles.
The Marketing Manager, West African Ceramics Ltd., Emmanuel Egar expressed satisfaction with the show saying from opening of his company’s stand on Monday to Friday, there had been a lot of inflow of potential buyers of the products. West African Ceramics Ltd which produces porcelain and ceramic tiles is key exhibitor and partner with Archibuilt.
Ahmed Bashir, a 400 Level student of the Arab Academy of Science and Maritime Transport, Cairo, Egypt who said he came to explore the market of architectural industry of Nigeria expressed disappointment with the products on display.
“I found out that materials are mostly imported – ceramics, doors, roofing sheets. I’m appalled by the number of imported materials in our own home,” he stated. He bought two books – Architecture Graphics written by Wiley and Understanding Investing in Real Estate.
At the opening ceremony of Archibuilt 2015 on Monday, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Arc. Sonny Echono said challenges in the construction sector especially, building collapse incidence in particular can be checked if professionals are made to adhere to the National Building Code.
The code specifies the minimum standards for quality of materials for various uses in construction.
According to the Pamanent Secretary, problems come “either in terms of people trying to cut corners by using lower specifications or poor workmanship and sometimes developers are in a hurry-they don’t wait for the concrete to cure…this is more of human error or deliberate attempt to cut corners.”
He charged professional bodies to ensure that if any professional is involved in shoddy job execution, serious disciplinary measures be meted out to them.
“The best we can do is to tighten our regulatory framework – authorities responsible for approving building plan must go out and supervise construction to ensure proper work is done.
“From the experience we have had so far, it’s abuse of materials – for example, if I specify 16mm iron rod and you go use 12mm iron rod, the difference is that 12mm iron rod has its own use so you have abused the use of that.
“You can’t blame the manufacturer of the iron. You don’t use it for the purpose it was used,” Echono explained.
However, a participant at the event, Arc. Bashir Haiba insisted that quality of building materials is a strong factor. According to him, one of the big building materials markets in Nigeria, the Die-dei Building Materials Market in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has many substandard goods. “Go to Dei-dei, you see product types — A, B, C. The traders go to China and import substandard products. Regulators should sit up,” he appealed.
While welcoming guests, the chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Arc. Waheed Niyi Brimmoh said through Archibuilt, architects have demonstrated their commitment to national development.
Similarly, the chairman Archibuilt Development Services Ltd., Arc. Jimoh Faworaja said, “The building industry today is evolving very rapidly and broadening in equal measure. The ability to keep with trends, challenges, policies, technologies and systems…requires the acquisition of knowledge and engaging in constant discuss and exchange of such knowledge.
“This knowledge exchange drives human capacity development that is relevant to current and emerging issues surrounding everyday living within the built environment.”
Close to 100 exhibitors from within and outside Nigeria showcased their products. Theme of Archibuilt 2015 was Solutions for Everyday Living Part II. The exhibition closed last Friday.