The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), a UK-based global professional body for construction management, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at raising professional standards and encouraging sustainable practices in Nigeria’s construction industry.
According to a statement by CORBON, the agreement will combine the regulatory expertise of CORBON with the global knowledge base of CIOB to improve collaboration, professional training, and skill development across Nigeria’s built environment. With more than 50,000 members worldwide, CIOB is expected to provide Nigerian builders access to international learning resources, industry insights, and networking platforms.
CIOB’s Chief Executive Officer, Caroline Gumble, described the partnership as a major step toward supporting more construction professionals across Nigeria and beyond. “This is another international partnership with an organisation which shares many of our goals. It allows us to support more construction professionals in Nigeria and beyond,” she said.
CORBON, as Nigeria’s statutory regulator for professional builders, plans to use the collaboration to enhance licensing processes, promote high educational standards, and align domestic practices with global benchmarks. The partnership will also help in advancing the use of modern building techniques and encouraging sustainability in the construction sector.
Chukwudi Ononogbu, a CIOB member based in Nigeria, said the agreement will create valuable opportunities for Nigerian professionals, especially students and early-to-mid career builders. “This collaboration represents a significant step for students, new entrants, and mid-career professionals,” he said. “It offers a truly global platform to engage with the best in the built environment sector.”
CORBON Chairman, Dr. Samson Opaluwah, said the agreement will serve as a gateway for Nigerian professionals to adopt global best practices and gain international exposure. “It allows registered builders in Nigeria to broaden their horizon of practice and embed global best practices,” he stated. He added that the collaboration will boost institutional capabilities and create avenues for research, innovation, and sustainable growth in the sector.
The impact of the partnership is expected to extend to construction companies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders involved in the Nigerian construction value chain. Through shared research and innovation efforts, the MoU aims to promote excellence and long-term development in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Folashade Ogunsola, has called for stronger ties between academic institutions and the building industry to support national development. She made the appeal while praising the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) for creating innovation spaces for students. “Nigeria cannot develop without partnership. Professionals are part of the solution to the problems we face,” she said.
Ogunsola noted that the contribution of professional bodies like CORBON and CIOB would complement academic efforts by providing students with practical skills and access to industry-standard knowledge. She emphasised the need for engineering and construction students to engage in hands-on learning that equips them to solve real-world problems.
The CORBON-CIOB partnership is seen as a timely and strategic move that could reshape Nigeria’s construction sector by placing greater emphasis on professionalism, sustainability, and international collaboration.
