The Federal Government has tasked construction professionals in the country on quality and standard in order to meet international best practice.

Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, made the call during a presentation/launching a book written by Professor Kunle Ade Wahab in Abuja on Thursday.

He added that there was a constant need to undertake an organised regular and improvement programme in the various sub-sectors of the construction industry in order to reach out to the inner core of Nigerians and highlight the need to maintain building codes and construction standards at all times.

Onolememen who pledged to make Nigerian road motorable in order to bequeath a strong economy that will be among the highest 20s in the world by the year 2020, described  the presentation and launch of the book as a wake-up call on all Nigerians, particularly professionals in the construction industry, not to lose sight of the values which form the basic foundation upon which every nation thrives.

Onolememen, represented  by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Abubakar Koro Muhammad  challenged all the professional bodies in the construction industry to live up to the expectation of both the government and the people by insuring that clearly defined measurable guidelines remain a sine qua non to guaranteeing the use of materials on all federal government projects that meet best global practices.

“For us as a country to attain the level of achieving the vision 2020, the roads must be motorable; the water must flow unhindered; power generation and distribution should be effective all year round; the transportation system should be assuring and there must be enough housing units to accommodate the teeming population of the country.

“The attainment of these laudable goals would be a panacea to the current challenges in the construction industry. We must face these daunting challenges to have a National Rebirth and Sustainable Development across the six geo- political zones of the country,” he stated.

Earlier, the Chairman planning committee, Prince Jamiu Adio Saka, while delivering his welcome address stated that the committee was convinced of the immense importance of the book to the nation, lecturers, students, practitioners, key actors and regulatory bodies of the building and construction industry.

In his welcome address the Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) described the author of the book as a catalyst for educational development in Nigeria, stating that the Professor has contributed immensely in the knowledge of building and construction in the country.

The book launching was facilitated by Professor Kunle Ade Wahab Educationist foundation (Kadewa Foundation), which has a vision of supporting and helping to build capacity of bright and intelligent students of tertiary institutions to fulfill their educational dreams and become leaders and agents of peace capable of helping themselves and influencing their communities for good.