.175 Quantity Surveyors Inducted .Institute Demands Realistic Estimates, Tighter Procurement, Accountability Bennett Oghifo Nigeria cannot afford further waste of scarce infrastructure funds as unrealistic estimates, cost overruns and abandoned projects
Bennett Oghifo
Nigeria cannot afford further waste of scarce infrastructure funds as unrealistic estimates, cost overruns and abandoned projects continue to undermine development, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has warned.
The NIQS has thus called for stronger cost discipline and accountability in public infrastructure projects, warning that poor financial planning and weak project management could further deepen Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
The President of the Institute, QS Dr. Aminu M. Bashir, FNIQS, gave the warning at the induction of 175 new members of NIQS in Abuja, charging the professionals to become the first line of defence against financial waste in the construction industry.
Bashir said Quantity Surveyors had a strategic responsibility to ensure that scarce public resources were properly managed and that infrastructure projects delivered value commensurate with the funds committed to them.
He described the profession as the “conscience of cost” in the built environment, stressing that its responsibilities went beyond preparing bills of quantities to include cost planning, procurement advice, risk management, project monitoring and value-for-money assessment.
The NIQS President said the growing infrastructure needs of the country made the role of Quantity Surveyors increasingly critical.
According to him, professionals must ensure that projects are properly costed from inception and that financial risks are identified before they become costly problems.
He warned the newly inducted members against allowing professional qualifications to outrun competence, urging them to continuously update their knowledge and skills.
Bashir also charged them to resist pressure to inflate figures, manipulate variations or overlook irregularities in project execution.
He said professional integrity would be tested when practitioners were asked to approve questionable figures, certify incomplete work or compromise procurement procedures.
The President further urged Quantity Surveyors to become more visible in national development, particularly in government and policy-making circles where major infrastructure decisions are taken.
He said the profession should no longer remain largely invisible while decisions affecting billions of naira in construction expenditure were made.
The warning came as the Institute held its 2026 National Workshop and Induction of New Members from August 25 to 27 at Limpopo Bay, Faculty of Law, Nile University of Nigeria, Jabi, Abuja.
The workshop, themed “Bridging the Gaps in Infrastructure Development: Harmonising Cost Dynamics in Highways, MEP, and Project Management,” focused on contemporary challenges affecting infrastructure delivery.
Participants examined project management, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services, as well as cost management of highway infrastructure.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Association of Consulting Quantity Surveyors, QS Adamu Shehu Yanda, FNIQS, warned that professional qualification must translate into responsible stewardship of the financial resources committed to construction projects.
Yanda, in his address titled “From Professional Qualification to Professional Responsibility: Ethics, Competence and Service in Quantity Surveying Practice,” said Quantity Surveyors occupied a sensitive position because their professional decisions affected clients, contractors, consultants, investors and the public.
He said one of the biggest threats to successful project delivery was the preparation of unrealistic estimates simply to fit predetermined budgets.
“An unrealistic estimate may secure initial approval, but it can later result in variations, delays, disputes, poor-quality work or abandonment,” he said.
Yanda stressed that where available funds were insufficient for the proposed scope of a project, Quantity Surveyors had a professional duty to tell clients the true cost and explain the consequences of inadequate funding.
He said failure to do so could contribute to the cycle of project abandonment and financial losses that had continued to deprive Nigerians of critical infrastructure.
“Every avoidable cost overrun reduces the resources available for other projects. Every abandoned project represents capital that has not produced its intended benefit,” he said.
He also demanded greater transparency in public procurement, warning that the lowest tender should not automatically be regarded as the most advantageous.
According to him, contractor capability, risk, quality and long-term value must be considered alongside price.
Yanda urged Quantity Surveyors to ensure that tender evaluations were objective and based strictly on established criteria, while valuations and payment certifications reflected work actually executed.
He warned that inflated valuations could expose clients to losses, while unjustified under-valuation could create cash-flow difficulties for contractors and disrupt project delivery.
He said the problem was particularly serious in the public sector because government projects were funded ultimately by taxpayers.
The consulting Quantity Surveyor also urged practitioners to embrace Building Information Modelling, digital measurement, data analytics, cloud-based collaboration and artificial intelligence.
He, however, warned that technology could not replace professional judgement, saying every digitally generated estimate or valuation must still be verified against project scope, market conditions and reliable cost information.
Yanda also called on consulting firms to strengthen quality-control mechanisms, properly supervise younger professionals and provide structured training for graduate Quantity Surveyors.
The induction ceremony was chaired by the President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Architect Sani I. Saulawa, FNIA.
The 175 new members were formally inducted into NIQS following the completion of the Institute’s professional requirements.
Bashir urged them to see the induction not as the end of professional training but as the beginning of a greater responsibility to Nigeria.
He said Quantity Surveyors must use their expertise to reduce waste, improve project delivery and ensure that infrastructure spending translates into tangible economic and social benefits.
He added that the profession had a critical role in helping Nigeria confront its infrastructure deficit by ensuring that projects were realistically planned, properly funded, efficiently executed and delivered within sustainable cost parameters.
