The President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Kene Nzekwe, has issued a strong warning to professionals in the construction industry, saying that anyone found practicing without the right training or competence will face deregistration and disciplinary action.
Nzekwe made this statement during a press conference in Abuja to mark the 31st NIQS Biennial General Meeting, where he emphasised the need for professionalism and ethical standards in the building and construction sector.
He said the institute will not tolerate unqualified individuals or those engaged in unethical practices that could tarnish the image of the profession or endanger lives.
“It doesn’t matter if you are educated. So long as you are not trained to do it, it is still quackery,” Nzekwe said. “Except if you are trained to do it and you have the competence to do it, only then will you be regarded as fit and proper to carry out that responsibility.”
The NIQS president made it clear that anyone found guilty of professional misconduct or unethical practice will face severe consequences. “Once anybody is established to be involved in any kind of infraction, I can assure you that one of the things I know will be done is that we will deregister him. Every unethical practice is viewed as a very serious infraction,” he said.
According to him, the institute will not hesitate to report erring members to the Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN) — the regulatory body with the legal power to revoke professional licences.
“If we establish that any quantity surveyor is involved in acts that tarnish the reputation of the profession, we will report him to the QSRBN, which has the authority to confiscate his licence so that he will not be able to practice in Nigeria as a quantity surveyor,” Nzekwe said.
He added that the institute takes issues of professional misconduct very seriously. “We will not allow members to engage in any form of infraction without taking action,” he said, stressing that ethics and discipline are central to the survival of the profession.
Nzekwe also warned against assigning construction cost management responsibilities to people who are not properly trained, describing it as a major cause of inefficiency and cost overruns in the industry. “You cannot entrust a matter that has to do with construction cost management to someone who is not trained to do so,” he said.
He highlighted broader challenges in Nigeria’s construction sector, particularly the lack of proper regulatory standards and enforcement. “Part of what we have identified is the issue of operating in an economy where there is no standard anywhere. As I speak with you, even the building code — which is supposed to be a document guiding professionals in the built environment — is not yet recognised as a legal document in Nigeria,” he said.
The NIQS president called on the government and other key stakeholders to work closely with the institute to strengthen professionalism in the industry. “One way we can do that, and we are doing it as an institute, is to continue engaging stakeholders — especially people in government. We need to continue to interrogate the processes to ensure professionalism and accountability,” he stated.
Speaking further, Nzekwe addressed the problem of professional encroachment, where individuals without proper training or certification take up roles meant for qualified quantity surveyors. He appealed to the media to support the institute’s advocacy efforts. “The issue of encroachment is indeed a major problem. I want to request the media to join us in this struggle to rescue the profession from people trying to do what they are not trained to do,” he said.
On the rising cost of housing and construction materials, Nzekwe linked the problem to government monetary policies, especially the floating and devaluation of the Naira.
He explained that these policies had led to hyperinflation, which continues to affect the cost of construction projects nationwide. “No doubt, part of the policies like the floating of the Naira and the devaluation of the Naira have had a huge impact on the construction industry. I am not sure that has abated because prices have continued to rise,” he noted.
Nzekwe urged the federal government to review its fiscal and monetary strategies to stabilise prices and create a more enabling environment for the construction sector. He also called on professionals to uphold integrity, competence, and continuous learning, saying that only trained and certified experts should be trusted with national infrastructure projects.
The NIQS president concluded by reaffirming the institute’s commitment to protecting the image of the profession and promoting excellence across Nigeria’s construction industry.
