From statiscal records kept over years, it has been reported that construction industry, as simple as it may sound, generates one-third of the total employment drive in any national economy.
In nigeria today, construction industry accounts for about seven percent of the national GDP, and you know what that implies.
There are many stakeholders in this great industry, but, the industry is usurped by three main stakeholders;;;
the client, the contractor, and the consultants.
The client
The client is the financier and the owner of any project, the backbone and the supporter of any agreement. He is the godfather, he promotes the construction projects to any level. The client gives his brief (what he really wants) to the consultants(the design team) expecting them to produce what he really wants graphically. The span of activities depends on him, because, he is the only one that stakes his money on it.
A client can either be a public client (government agencies), or a private client (individuals, and corporate bodies)
The consultants
The consultants are also known as the design team, and the examiner of any project. They examine all activities being executed on site to avoid compromised standards. They approve/disapprove activities. They represent the client on site. ‘Most consultants are corrupt’, says a contractor i met on site.’ ‘They just want money, not the standards and quality of the work, this is one of the major drawbacks of the industry ‘ He continues
The consultants do come to inspect the ongoing project on fixed days. They effect any changes made on the working drawings (the design).
The contractors
The contractors are meant to perform their duties, follow specifications, and examine drawings to ensure objectivity. They are responsible for the actualization of the graphical representations and drawings, i.e they transfer what is on the drawing to the ground. The contractors tender for projects from the clients. They are the executors of projects.
A contractor is either informed or uninformed, when a contractor is former, he handles his projects personally. But, on the contrary, if the contractor is latter, then, the issue of site managers or site supervisors, come knocking. Such contractor will have to delegate his functions to the site manager.
These are the main stakeholders in the industr, but there are other stakeholders performing their own roles to aid the main stakeholders;
The statutory bodies
They are at the helm of affairs, they control the activities of the professionals in the industry, they make rules and regulations for the pros to abide and conform with. They work towards the improvement of standards of the industry e.g the building code. Examples of such body are COREN, CORBON, NIOB, and IEE.
The financial institutions
They are the suppliers of neccessary funds to the client when needed. a client might not be capable of financing the project, he goes to the bank, and a loan can be granted (i.e. mobilization fees are not always paid at the beginning of the project).
Materials Manufacturers
These are the innovators, they produce materials needed for the actual construction projects, without them, there will be no construction. They cogitate everyday, for new inventions, as technology developes.
Walking around everyday, looking at structures, appreciating or criticizing them, some guys worked them out.
They staked everything, put in their best, to get those fantastic structures erected, these are the stakeholders, those who work so hard to make it look so easy.
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