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The representative of the company, Tope Arowolo, who spoke at the 45th Builders’ Conference and Annual General Meeting of the NIOB held at the University of Ibadan, advocated standards regulation, skills development and entrepreneurship in the construction industry, while also blaming building collapse on lack of skills and the use of sub-standard building materials.

Arowolo said that research had shown that cement standard was not responsible for building collapse.

He said, “I want to debunk the impression that cement is the cause of building collapse; cement is not and LafargeHolcim is known for quality. What causes building collapse most of the time is the usage of sub-standard materials and poor construction skills among the artisans.

“That is why one of the topics that we are discussing at this forum is safety and training of artisans. LafargeHolcim, in collaboration with the Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria and the Industrial Training Fund, is training artisans in all the geo-political zones of the country.

“We have trained 2,000 artisans because they are very important in the construction and building industry. We need to train as many artisans as possible in order to check building collapse in Nigeria. Lafarge is rolling out many training programmes for bricklayers and block moulders. We are also collaborating with Shelter Watch on skill acquisition.”

The President, NIOB, Tunde Lasaki, urged builders not to shy away from performing their duty of supervising artisans who were important partners in the industry.

“We have gone round the country and found out that poor skills and inadequate training are some of the things that cause building collapse. The National Building Code, 2006 states that supervision of artisans rest on the shoulders of builders and we have to train the people,” Lasaki said.

PUNCH.

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How has it been doing business in Nigeria?

For me, Nigeria is what I know, Nigeria is what I love; I love doing business in Nigeria. I was born in Nigeria; I grew up here and my entire career, apart from the time I worked in America, has been in Nigeria. I love it here so much that I spend a lot of time away from my family in the United Kingdom. I love the business, I love the people and I love the opportunity, and I want Emel to make a difference in the kind of products and services we provide in the country and the way we treat people, both directly and indirectly.

Having spent some time in Nigeria, I am sure you are aware of the problems the construction industry is facing with regard to artisans. What is your view about this?

I think that it is all about neglected careers and a neglected category of people; they haven’t really been able to get training; they are treated as mere workers and that is one of the problems we are trying to address, especially when it comes to roofing.

We have brought in the world leading expert in roofing by the name of Robb, who has been to Nigeria three times and he is going to be coming every two to three months. He is training artisans on technical installation and what happens when you install wrongly. It is not only about correct installation; it is about what is important and what impact it will have when you do things correctly or wrongly, and it is a combination of giving them technical skills and also a sense of pride.

We are working on making them take pride in what they do; if artisans are confident, the work they do can make a difference whether now or in two years or 50 years without a leak; and beyond your job, this is very important. From our level, we are working on recognising the importance of the artisans and helping to train them and instil a sense of pride and importance in them both physically and emotionally.

How do you think the government and other stakeholders in the private sector can come in to help too?

I will like to see everyone do the same thing that we are doing; it is a combination of making people feel important about their jobs and making them feel a sense of pride in their jobs, and it is about training them and giving them the right skills.

This is something that every stakeholder in the private sector should be doing with the people they work with on construction, roofing, plumbing or masonry projects. Whatever it is, we should all engage them. We also look forward to the government guiding us; you know it is easier for people to do things when they have some indication from the government as to why they should do it.

We are creating employment, which is a big message for today’s government to create more employment for the skills set and the government should also look for ways to support us and how they can encourage us to do this more often. I think the government should engage in talks with the private sector on what they want done and how they can help. There is a need for exchange of ideas and roundtable discussions.

Considering the kind of weather in Nigeria, how well do you think imported roofing sheets such as Tilcor that you distribute can work here?

Our roofing tiles are made to withstand all kinds of weather conditions, be it extreme heat, humidity, wind or snow, it is the same thing. For us, we have extreme heat, heavy rains and sometimes we have strong winds just like it is in Lagos. When properly installed, these stone-coated steel roofing sheets can last for 50 years.

Our product has maybe two or three years warrantee like others in its class but we have durability and the protection will last longer whether in rain or heat; it is protected from extreme conditions. Aesthetically, it also looks fairly attractive than some other kinds of roofing.

Tilcor is from New Zealand and New Zealand also has extreme heat and rains; so, they actually test their products themselves and that is why theirs is one of the best stone-coated roofing tiles in the world. They conduct over 15 tests, including freezing and extreme heat, for example. So, these tests are done to see that the product can last and it can certainly withstand the heat of Nigeria and the occasional storms that we have. It is also made from strong raw materials.

So, what kind of roofing do you consider appropriate for Nigeria?

There is nothing like inappropriate roofing at the end of the day; there are different levels of durability and weather protectiveness. Stone-coated is among the highest. Of course, there are many other roofing sheets, which can be more economical depending on people’s budget. It is not a one size fits everybody; it depends on your pocket and how much durability and protection you want.

There are many options available in the market but it also depends on what you are building. If it is a house, stone-coated is the best option, but if you are building a warehouse for instance, you probably need aluminium sheets for that.

Does poor roofing play any role in building collapse?

I don’t think so; I am not an expert but by my knowledge, roofing cannot lead to a building collapse. Building collapse has to do with poor foundation but what poor roof installation does is that it leads to leakages during the life cycle of the property, which can lead to damage and maybe people suffering within their homes.

The importance of the roof is also like the ‘gele,’ so, it is important to put a good one in place because if there are issues with your roof, it is very inconvenient to reroof while you are inside the building. It means that you have to leave the house while the roof is done again; that is why it is important to go for durable products that can last for 50 years at least.

You are going to pass your roof to your next generation and it is always good to pass a good legacy. The roof may not lead to building collapse but it is an extremely important element when you are building your house to get a properly installed roof so that your family is also protected.

The number of local manufacturers of roofing tiles in the country is growing and so is the clamour for incentives to boost the local industry. As an importer, how do you cope with competition, especially now that some stone-coated roofing tiles are already very popular in the country?

To the best of my knowledge, local manufacturers are making long-span roofing sheets and not stone-coated; I am not 100 per cent sure but I think all the stone-coated roofs in the country are being imported. But we are setting up a factory in Nigeria; we are just waiting to see what policies the new government is coming up with to protect industries and the structures that will be put in place. We are happy to set up an industry provided that it is not in a way that people can replicate the products and sell; it doesn’t make sense.

In our current scenario, the raw materials that we are sourcing are very high quality and we also have to see how our partners can provide the same high quality to the Nigerian market. For instance, steel coils, which form the base of the tiles and the natural stones that we coat the tiles with are 100 per cent natural stones. Those are sourced from New Zealand and we have to see how we can source them locally before we begin manufacturing so that the raw materials are not compromised simply because we are manufacturing locally.

Currently, we are importing but we are also contributing to local content development through the training of the artisans to make them knowledgeable about the product and install according to world standard. We are raising their skills set to compare with roofers in any other part of the world. We have trained over 600 artisans; so, we are contributing to local content and local content development in the country.

How do you get the artisans to train?

We have an open training where all the people interested can come in. Our plan is to have Tilcor-trained artisans but not employed by us; they are freelancers. We are open to train as many as come forward and there are no requirements, you just have to be someone interested in developing yourself and take pride in what you are going to learn. We are also open to working with the government.

What is your assessment of the roofing industry in the country?

I think with the amount of construction that is happening and is going to happen in Nigeria, there are huge opportunities for all the roofing companies; there is a market for many kinds of roofing, a wonderful huge market opportunity for everyone. All I will just say to everyone is to get their products and installation right. It is an important job, make sure that your products and installation are of high quality.

PUNCH.

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