NEWS
Lagos Govt., Experts Collaborate for National Building Code Domestication
The Lagos State Government is collaborating with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) to engage stakeholders towards adopting technical committees for domestication of the National Building Code (NBC).
The state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development is championing the process.
Dr Idris Salako, Commissioner in the ministry, during a meeting on Tuesday, took a roll call of the various professional associations and ministries.
The meeting had in attendance all the seven built environment professional bodies and their affiliates.
Ministries of works and infrastructure, environment and other relevant agencies of the Lagos State Government were also presented.
Some professional bodies and ministries, whose important affiliates were not captured, raised objections.
This led to the inclusion of the affiliates, while others were recommended to be subsumed by their parent bodies.
The professional bodies were classified into four groups – pre-design, design, construction, and post-construction categories.
Salako said the roll call was important because of the importance of the inputs of all the experts.
The inputs are owards having an effective template for domestication of the National Building Code (NBC) in Lagos State.
“An effective document for practice will curb building collapse and construction failures in the state.
“Two more review meetings will hold before the inauguration of the technical committees before the end of August,” Salako said.
Earlier, while delivering his speech, the commissioner said the NBC was important as it represented his ministry’s commitment to the THEMES Agenda of making Lagos a 21st Century Economy.
“For certain, the domestication of the National Building Code will afford us the opportunity to strengthen efforts to bequeath an organised, livable and sustainable built environment as contained.
“In this connection, we have started an inclusive process in which all relevant professionals in the built environment are able to work with us to develop and own a Lagos Building Code that we can rely upon for the regulation of the physical environment,” he said.
Salako urged all participants to consider standards of material, energy efficiency, and environment-friendly measures in the sector in line with the peculiarities of Lagos State.
He said that they should not neglect challenges militating against sustainable environment.
The commissioner thanked the Nigerian Energy Support Programme and their principals for the “worthy partnership”.
He said that evolving an acceptable building code for Lagos had enormous advantages to the environment, the state and the people.
This, according to him, is particularly in the areas of Health and Safety, Security and Environment as well as combating building collapse.
Mrs Abiola Kosegbe, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, urged all the experts to ensure credible representation throughout the processes.
Represented by a director, Mr Saheed Animashaun, she said the right representation would remove any vacuum in required inputs for various fields.
She said that it would help to ensure a document to serve as guide for other states who may also want to domesticate the NBC.
Mrs Edima Okodi-Iyah, NESP Advisor on Energy Efficiency in Building, said it was a “national burden” on the built environment professionals and other experts to scrutinise the NBC and adopt options suitable for Lagos.
Okodi-Iyah announced the venue for subsequent meetings before the final adoption of groups, towards inauguration of the sub-committees for the domestication of the Code.
Mr David Majekodunmi, Lagos Chapter Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Architecture, urged all experts to study the NBC code to be able to make informed decisions.
Majekodunmi scheduled a zoom meeting for participants and all the seven built environment professionals.
These are Architects, Builders, Surveyors, Engineers, Town Planners, Quantity Surveyors, Estate Surveyors and Valuers.
He said the zoom meeting would help the experts dissect the document before the next meeting for further review of the NBC, so as to achieve excellence. (NAN)
Niger Government has established the state Price Control and Monitoring Board, approved by Gov. Umaru Bago to ensure fair pricing and consumer protection.
Alh. Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger Government (SSG), inaugurated members of the board on Thursday in Minna.
The eight-member board has Alh.
Hussaini Ahmed, a former Permanent Secretary as the chairman.Usman noted that the inauguration of the board marked a significant step in the state’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and consumer protection.
He said that the board was expected to control and stabilise prices of essential commodities and eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, hoarding of essential commodities across the state.
He said that board would also handle issues that may arise as a result of enforcement and penalty for contravention of guidelines among several others.
“The board will be responsible for the distribution, monitoring and evaluation of essential commodities and keep price under continuous surveillance.
“They will also interpret price movement and relate them to other development in the State’s economy,” Usman said.
He said the board was expected to interface with relevant stakeholders such as local government chairmen, traditional institutions and councilors and well as market organisations to ensure the success of their mandate.
The SSG enjoined members of board to bring their wealth of experience and expertise in economics, consumer affairs and market dynamics to bear in their assignment.
He said that their appointment underscored the government’s dedication to maintaining economic stability and safeguarding the interests of both consumers and businesses in the state.
In his remarks, the board chairman, Ahmed, assured that the board would interface with relevant stakeholders within and outside the state in order to bring succour to the populace.
Other members of the board include Hamza Bello, Permanent Secretary, Investment, Aliyu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Garba Abdullahi, from Ministry of Basic Education.
Also on the board are Adamu Maikasuwa, Ministry of Agriculture, DCP Aminu Garba, Nigeria Police, Niger Command, Aminu Ladan, Chairman, Chanchaga Local Government Area and Usman Liman, retired Statistician-General as Secretary of the Board. (NAN)
The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.298 trillion among the Federal Government, states, and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for September.
This is according to a communique issued at the end of FAAC meeting for October held on Thursday in Abuja.
The communiqué was made available to newsmen by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF).
According to the communiqué, N1.
298 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N124.716 billion, and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N543.518 billion.It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N18.
445 billion, Exchange Difference revenue of N462.191 billion and Augmentation of N150.000 billion.It said that a total revenue of N2.258 trillion was available in the month of September.
“Total deduction for cost of collection was N80.993 billion, while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N878.946 billion,” it said.
According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.043 trillion was received in September 2024, which was lower than the sum of N1.221 trillion received in August by N177.426 billion.
It said that gross revenue of N583.675 billion was available from VAT in September, higher than the N573.341 billion available in the month of August by N10.334 billion.
“From the N1.298 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total sum of N424.867 billion, and the state governments received a total sum of N453.724 billion.
“The LGCs received a total sum of N329.864 billion and a total sum of N90.415 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” it said.
On the N124.716 billion statutory revenue, the communiqué said that the Federal Government received N43.037 billion and the state governments received N21.829 billion, while the LGCs received N16.829 billion.
It said that the sum of N43.021 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.
“From the N543.518 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N81.528 billion, the state governments received N271.759 billion and the LGCs received N190.231 billion,” it said.
It said that in September, Oil and Gas Royalty, Excise Duty, EMTL and CET Levies increased considerably while VAT and Import Duty increased marginally.
It added that Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT) and others recorded significant decreases. (NAN)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has reiterated the importance of strict adherence to traffic laws, emphasising the prohibition of commercial motorcycles on highways and other restricted routes.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager, said this in a statement on Thursday, signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said that non-compliance with the regulations not only jeopardised the safety of the riders but also endangered the lives of other road users.
The statement came following the death of a motorcycle rider going against traffic on Carter Bridge, due to a collision with a fast-moving vehicle.
Bakare-Oki noted that the deceased, reportedly traveling from Ebute Ero, collided head-on with a fast-moving vehicle as it ascended Carter Bridge from Ilubirin.
“The forceful impact of the collision led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist while the vehicle driver ran away.
“Personnel from the LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene of the accident and swiftly alerted officers from the Central Police Station at Adeniji Adele and Shemo.
“Together, they coordinated efforts to retrieve the lifeless body of the rider, while LASTMA officials handed over the motorcycle to security authorities for further investigation,” he said.
The LASTMA boss extended his heartfelt sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“LASTMA remains committed to upholding public safety and is intensifying its efforts to minimise the occurrence of such tragic incidents on Lagos roads,” he said. (NAN)
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