NIQS reiterates committment to standard, honours honours founding fathers

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has reiterated its committmenr to maintaining standards in the building profession across the country. The Institute made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday when it renamed its national headquarters in Abuja as QS J. Segun Ajanlekoko House, in honour of one its founding fathers which it described as […]

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has reiterated its committmenr to maintaining standards in the building profession across the country.

The Institute made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday when it renamed its national headquarters in Abuja as QS J. Segun Ajanlekoko House, in honour of one its founding fathers which it described as instrumental to the growth of quantity surveying in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, NIQS President, QS Dr. Aminu M. Basmr, noted that the decision to immortalise Ajanlekoko was in recognition of his decades of service, mentorship, and contributions to professional development.

He said Ajanlekoko, regarded as one of the most illustrious ambassadors of the profession, authored several books, led the delivery of the Institute’s first national secretariat in Lagos, and mentored generations of quantity surveyors.

The President also announced that “The council chamber is named the late QS Dr. Shehu Olgiwa, a pioneering northern quantity surveyor and scholar, while the data resource centre was named after QS Emmanuel Chukwu Emeka Ofore, credited with developing one of the first indigenous quantity surveying software solutions,”

Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Ademola Adebise, said restatated the role of quantity surveyors in playing a critical role in ensuring cost discipline, transparency, and value in Nigeria’s construction industry.

He noted that as Nigeria intensifies investments in infrastructure and housing, the role of quantity surveyors has become increasingly vital, particularly in ensuring sustainable project delivery and accountability.

In his remarks, the celebrant, QS J. Segun Ajanlekoko, expressed gratitude for the honour, describing the edifice as a testament to what commitment and professionalism can achieve.

He emphasised that excellence in the built environment requires adherence to standards and the engagement of qualified professionals, warning against the use of quacks, which he said contributes to building failures.

Ajanlekoko clarified that “Quantity surveyors are primarily cost managers and not responsible for structural failures, attributing building collapses largely to incompetent contractors and poor professional practices,”

He advocated stricter enforcement of regulations to ensure only certified professionals handle construction projects, noting that this would enhance accountability, safeguard investments, and improve outcomes in the sector.

On the role of quantity surveyors in economic development, he described them as the “heartbeat” of the construction industry, stressing that their involvement from project inception guarantees cost efficiency, transparency, and value for money.