One of Nigeria’s most accomplished professionals in the building industry says there is urgent need for synergy between industry and the academia in order to impart skills through fieldwork and industry practice.
Opaluwah is the President of the recently inaugurated National Skills Council for Building In Nigeria (SCBIN). He is also Chairman, Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview, he stated: ‘I went for NYSC in 1978 and I could build a house. I didn’t need a supervisor. This was because I had been going to site as a student. I was also on site before I went to the university to learn the theories of building.’
He said there is respite for the building industry, stating that the Skills Council for Building in Nigeria has set in motion, strategies that will link the industry to the academia. According to Opaluwah, the synergy will do so much to practically impart knowledge to students of Building.
“We want a synergy between the industry and academia so that learning can be practical,” he stated.
According to the Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, “students of Building must go to site. Although there is not much time for the student, and the workshops at the polytechnics, universities and other institutions of higher learning may not perfectly represent the true situation of a building construction site, but practical impartation of knowledge is necessary.”
“This necessitates a linkage between the academia and the industry, so that stakeholders at both ends can learn.”
“The challenge is serious: Even where the workshops in schools are up to standard, the cost of practical sessions is a challenge and may not be readily affordable.”
Opaluwah also pointed out that the academic system in Nigeria has a lot of needs.
Proffering solution to the challenge of funding, he said: “There is no county in the world that allows only government to fund education. Endowments are what facilitate education, and CORBON wants to achieve this in the Nigerian building industry.”
Giving an example, Opaluwah, who is a also a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), said: “If you have a class of 40 students and you need to give them various samples for various practical on daily basis, you would discover that it is expensive and that the schools are hardly able to afford it.”
“For this reason, students begin to learn by pictures and diagrams. Under this type of situation, the students are not exposed to practical site works, and then they graduate.”
While saying that such a situation “is not the best,” he called on relevant stakeholders to work with CORBON and SCBIN in its effort to link the industry with the academia.
Opaluwah said CORBON will kick start this by convening an international building congress that will serve as platform for the academia and industry to establish linkages for the improvement of the sector.
“CORBON is not waiting for any developed country. We have what it takes to create home based solutions that will be important and instructional to developed countries.”
“No animal calls another animal to come and build for them. Every bird builds its shelter, no matter the challenges it faces, it creates its own nest. So, we will look inward and address the challenges facing the building construction industry with what God has given to us,” he added.
