Engr. Yetunde Adeobola Holloway is an Executive Director with the Special Committee for Rehabilitation of Public Schools in Lagos State ( a policy implementation agency of Lagos State, given the task of upgrading school infrastructure in the State).
She holds both a first degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in Construction Management from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Yetunde has worked with the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) for 19 years and has broad experience as a Consultant, Supervising Engineer and Project Construction Manager on different projects in Nigeria and in the UK.
She is a member of several professional bodies including NSE, APWEN, WiE and WFEO where she is the Vice President and the current Chair of the WiE Committee of the WFEO and of the Federation of African Organisations (FAEO).
In our continued effort to serve you with the best, Engineers’ Forum brings to you an expert with versed experience in the Construction/Built Environment. She addresses several critical issues in the industry and also talks about her passion for service. Savour the wealth of information from our stable.
You are the Chairperson of the WiE Committee and an active member of APWEN and these bodies seem to be actively engaged in professional engineering developments among women.What is the place of women in engineering and has there ever been an existential threat to the survival of women in engineering profession?
Scientific and technological innovation is key to the achievement of sustainable development and progress of any society and is critical in addressing global challenges such as climate change, epidemics, and income inequality. Logically, there is an increasing demand for professionals in science, technology, engineeringand mathematics (STEM). Unfortunately, women who represent over 50% of the world population, are often underrepresented in these fields. For example, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics reports that women constitute less than 30% of scientific researchers worldwide, indicating that the number compared to the male counterpart is still very low. Women should have equal opportunities to contribute to the development of the society, in which they live and exist. Some people say but there are ‘’so many’’ women practising engineering and they are doing well but ‘’so many’’ is not a number compared to men. It is necessary to see actual numbers and point out disparities and their causes, with a view to improving the ratios.Our Committee is working on getting actual figures.
So, to answer your question directly- Women have an equal place with men in Engineering and in any other career that they choose. Talking about an existential threat, I would not call it that but there is what is called the’’ leaky pipeline’’. In studies around the world, it has been observed that at STEM undergraduate levels, the disparities between the male and female students are not too obvious but from graduation onwards, the “leaky pipeline’’ comes into play. The numbers reduce from grad school to research to the engineering workplace, the numbers whittle down, eventually leading to large disparities in the workplace.So,there is a threat to increased numbers of women in engineering, which the world needs. If action is not taken, the world will be wasting a large percent of its scientific and engineering potential and brain power.
Meanwhile, Female Engineers, under the auspices of APWEN have carriedout various interventions to encourage the girl child to study engineering and to bridge this gap. The CWiE is partnering with APWEN and other female engineering groups to see increased interests by girls, and increased numbers of female engineers. We are proponents of Gender Equality, which is SDG#5 and believe that achieving this will give the world a better and more sustainable future.
Years ago you served as the Chairman of the Lagos Branch of NSE and currently you are the Vice President of WFEO. What is WFEO all about and what is service to you?
The World Federation of Engineering Organisations, WFEO is an international non-governmental organisation to unite multidisciplinary engineering associations throughout the world..It has a national membership of over 100 engineering institutions globally and represents over 30 million engineers around the world.
The Federation was established to provide leadership to the engineering profession on numerous issues affecting the profession and the engineers globally. Apart from uniting the engineers, WFEO also fosters peace, socioeconomic security and sustainable development among all countries of the world, through the proper application of technology.
To me, service means bringing your passion into any given assignmentand doing your best to achieve outstanding results. Making sure you leave the space better than you met it. And very importantly, to give a part of you to those around you, by positively impacting them andbeing ready and willing to pass the baton to the next person when the time comes!
One major issue in the construction industry is the issue of building collapse. What is responsible for the incessant collapse we often experience and how can it be addressed?
It is unfortunate that Nigeria continues to witness incessant but avoidable cases of building collapses across the country. Some of these collapses are as a result of illegal expansion of existing structures. Others are due to lack of adherence to design specifications, failure to comply with building and environmental codes, failure to conduct soil investigation and provide adequate foundation for the structure, use of sub-standard materials, poor construction methodology and poor practices, using unqualified personnel( quacks) and also professional negligence/bad design. Another important factor, often overlooked is the most important stakeholders in the industry i.e. the client, whether private or public. He very often determines the what, who, why and the when
• Addressing all these factors will need collective action by all stakeholders by more robust enforcement policies, which the COUNCIL for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is doing.
• The Lagos State Government, in particular,has commenced the enforcement of compulsory building insurance on owners of buildings across the State. The insurance companies will act as watchdogs, along with independent and certified consultants to endorse buildings.
• A safety institute where workers in construction can be trained and certified to standards has been established toprevent frequent cases of collapsed buildings in the state.
• Training and retraining of all cadres of personnel is needed.
• Stakeholders’ engagement with owners and occupiers and regulatory agency to ensure full understanding and buy-in of any policies (e.g. importance of soil reports and material testing, reasons for marking for demolition, proposed road levels etc) should be urgently pursued.
Seven professions of the Building Industry and their respective Regulatory Bodies, i.e. Architecture, Building, Engineering, Estate Surveying and Valuation, Quantity Surveying, Surveying, and Urban and Regional Planning came together to produce the National Building Codes of Nigeria (2006). Why are some professionals still relying on British and American codes despite the fact that we have our National Building Codes?
Nigerian National Building Codes evolved from International Building Codes. As you rightly pointed out, the first edition of the National Building Codes came into effect in 2006 through the contributions of various professional bodies. This document became a necessity when the Defunct National Council of Works and Housing, in 1987 directed that a National Building Code be evolved for Nigeria. The evolution of the National Building Codes therefore took some years; following standard practices, consultations and collaborations across the professional bodies in the built industry, before it was finally adopted and came to effect in 2006.
Various practitioners have continued to rely on the International National Building Codes for which they were trained. But effective from 2006, professionals adopted the Nigerian National Building Codes. In 2018, the National Building Codes was revised and has been released to the public.
There could be various reasons why some professionals still use foreign National Building Codes. Some professionals are using National Building Codes of the country where they were trained. As you know, many Nigerians were trained abroad and their education was based on the National Building Codes of those countries. Some of them returned home and continued to adopt those standards. The Influx of foreign contractors in the industry is also worth noting as some of them are inclined to their home National Building Codes due to lack of stringent rule to enforce adoption of Nigerian Building Codes. The other reasons, are lack of awareness as some of our professionals do not update themselves with the existing National Building Codes.
Perhaps the primary reason for the violation is absence of punitive measure against violators. We need strict implementation and enforcement of the building codes. I also will say there is need for all professional bodies in the sector to get the updated copy of the National Building Codes and ensure all their members have one at the point of their induction into the membership of their respective association.
The National Building Codes of Nigeria addresses sections in Pre-Design, Design, Construction and Post Construction stages. Your focus has been in Post Construction stage where maintenance or facility management comes to be. What is the level of facility management in Nigeria considering the often-poor maintenance culture?
Your assertion is not quite correct. I do a lot of work in pre-contract as well. Conceptualisation, planning etc are all within my purview.
Nigeria has a poor maintenance culture-a known fact. But Facility Management, FM is not just about maintenance- it is just a part of it. FM is a structured management system that essentially looks after all of the services that help a business or other organisation to do its work and varies from company to company, depending on size, complexity, functions and needs of the company. It is thus inclusive of maintenance services. It is a Sustainable management of space and people within the space.
Ideally, facility management services should be part of the building process (at some stage or handover at the least) as built and other documentation of the building to be used to manage it. Facility management in Nigeria is growing and developing.
The document also talked about use of non-professionals and quacks and use of untested products and materials. Why is enforcement a challenge in this regard?
Generally, enforcement of any laws in Nigeria is challenging but we must face the challenges squarely. In the built industry, we have many professionals with different roles, working together and each has their own professional council and association responsible for registration, training and also disciplinary measures where necessary. Each should be able to fish out quacks in their midst. I think adoption of stronger cross-professional collaborations between industry practitioners will enhance policy expansion and enforcement,.
Lagos State has a Material Testing Laboratory and professionals and practitioners are expected to invite them to carry out various tests (materials and process) during stages of construction. University of Lagos and Yaba College of Technology, as well as some private organisations have also been certified to carry out some of these tests. I suggested already that OWNERS need to be educated on this. We cannot give up.
One of the clauses of the National Building Codes is that: “There shall be established in all Federal, State and Local Government Urban Development Agencies, a Code Enforcement Division/Section/Unit in their Development Control Department.” I can’t confirm if this is done or how effective such agencies have been in Nigeria.
Despite economy downturn in the last 6 years, the government is committed to infrastructural developments and in doing so, it has to source for loans to achieve this. Do you think government is meeting up with these needs?
So far, the government has a long way to go to fill the infrastructure gap.Take the power sector, Nigeria as a country is endowed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resources, we learnt recently that there is potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of electric power from existing plants,( but most days is only able to generate around 4,000 MW- plagued with nationwide system failures) which is insufficient for the burgeoning populations in the country . It is our prayer that the Siemens deal is wholly successful. One must acknowledge, however, that from power sector to rail modernization, aviation, oil and gas, road construction, and housing provision etc , there are various construction activities(and improvements) ongoing in these sectors of the economy, so there is some modicum of progress. But the infrastructural need is so huge and the resources are simply inadequate. Many Nigerians are also becoming skeptical of the increasing loan burden even though the projects are on ground.There is a need to rationalize on priority projects, to utilize these limited resources. Of course, this poses various political, regional and other considerations but it can be done.
It is essential for our government to begin to look at alternatives to loan arrangements to fund these huge infrastructural deficits. The opportunity in Nigeria’s infrastructure development is enormous. Other means such as Public Private Partnerships to complement the existing efforts can be examined more closely, but PPPs are notorious for taking time to reach agreements.
Nigeria has to begin to develop homegrown materials and funding mechanisms. I don’t think we can borrow our way into national development. It would be an anomaly.
I would perhaps suggest more transparency and probity in procurement methods and contract administration and possibly more effective stakeholders’ engagement to obtain majority buy-in of the citizenry.
Our capital funding in annual budget allocations seem to be suffocated by recurrent expenditures. How can we address this to ensure that the huge gap in infrastructural deficit is closed?
Nigeria’s infrastructure stock remains far below the 70% international benchmark and this has naturally raised concerns among many experts and the general populace alike. In 2019, the Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed was reported to have disclosed that the FG will need about 34 trillion Naira annually for the next 30 years to tackle Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges. That figure is mind boggling!
When we look at the reality and see that our revenue base continues to weaken as a result of our excessive reliance on one sector (oil and gas) of the economy, as well as increasing recurrent expenditure and concerns about our debt sustainability, there is no doubt that we need to think ‘’out of the box’’ to close the widening infrastructure deficit. We have to look at other alternatives as well as eliminating leakages in the system. Corruption is not our friend but a ’’frenenemy’’- a pretender. It appears to enrich but in reality, it impoverishes.
Many voices have also identified restructuring of our legislature at Federal and State levels to reduce recurrent expenditure.
In addition, a deliberate and strategic investment in local content as well as continuous capacity-building: personnel and materials must be vigorously pursued.
Planning is one of the keys to providing infrastructural needs for the teeming and expanding populace and that is based on data and statistics, which will aid projections and extrapolations
My suggestions-
Public financial management improvements
Increased participation and opportunities in the labor force for the youth, especially and including females (all cadres-leadership too)
Improved and aggressive macroeconomic management of the economy
Establishment of a strong institutional and regulatory framework in support of private sector activities and investments
Covid–19 disrupted activities in the construction industry globally. What has been the experience in Nigeria and what are the New Normal adopted?
COVID-19 has disrupted business activities all over the world and many livelihoods are affected even though some industries thrive during the period. Construction industry is one of those affected negatively. The need to maintain social distancing and also reduce number of workers on site per day has naturally slowed down construction activities. The (COVID-19) pandemic has thus impacted the ability of construction businesses around the globe to maintain operations and fulfil existing contractual obligations, slowed down the rate of construction and invoked the force majeure in many contracts. Locally, I see numerous fluctuation claims, due to the forex rates and the cost of imported materials. In summary, we are seeing substantial unplanned costs associated with projects. Unfortunately, the economic situation doesn’t favour increased costs.
There’s a need for a paradigm shift and for construction companies to do many things differently.The new normal demands that the industry needs to fast-track digital adoption and reinvent their relationship with third parties – clients, suppliers, subcontractors. Safety protocols should really be taken more seriously, risk analysis and management and the need to use technology has become more important. (WFH) Working from home, holding virtual meetings (concept, design etc) and use of phones and other devices for site inspection, monitoring and supervision are some of the immediate changes
Let’s take it farther, by 2050, where do you see the construction industry in Nigeria?
The Federal and State governments are quite aware of the UN SDGs, which are to be achieved by 2030which is another 10 years away and there are various intervention in progress .We must aim at meeting these 17Goals and 168 targets by all means and do even better.
Now that you have added another 20 years to this, making 30 years in total,I do think it will be very interesting to see, if God spares our lives till that time .Looking at the technology trends globally, by 2050, a lot of things would have changed and many more innovations and advancements will have been introduced into the construction industry. I foresee a Nigerian construction industry which will have embraced full automation with sustained, aggressive innovative, faster and more efficient techniques. I definitely expect modular construction and more of technology utilisation such as 3-D construction, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence being used to design, build and construct and all aspect of the industry. I expect that our climate change issues, circularisation of the economy and other issues to be history, by 2050.
There will definitely be more of globalisation, standardization, industrialization etc .I see a Nigeria where our youth will lead innovation and be front-runners in the construction industry. We have the potential which must be exploited fully. Our Nigerian youth need to be ‘’Futures Literate’’ in engineering, particularly because it empowers the imagination, enhances the ability to prepare, recover and invent as changes occur.The time to start is now!
