Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) as well as 28 other bodies under the umbrella of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) have called for more patronage of indigenous professionals.

Speaking during the Board Meeting of the Association, president of APBN, Surveyor Akin Oyegbola said it has been proven that Nigerian professionals can hold their own anywhere in the world.

The NIOB which is the professional body for Builders in Nigeria as part of its roles act as body which the Government or other official or unofficial authorities or organisations in Nigeria can seek advice, assistance or the expression of views on any subjects of concern or interest, to the Building profession in Nigeria.

Oyegbola also said the APBN will continue to emphasize the need to encourage local content development by engaging Nigerian professionals in areas where they have comparative advantages.

He also expressed concerns that the rising security challenge in the country is bad for the nation’s economy. According to him, the country is yet to recover from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and #EndSARS mayhem of 2020 and needs a secure environment to attract investment, both local and foreign.

He said the change of baton at the top echelon of security apparatus may not be the only requirement but the small beginning of a completely different far-reaching and effective strategy for providing the much needed security for lives and properties in the land.

The APBN boss urged the government to invest urgently in making Covid-19 vaccines available to Nigerians.

He said, “we use this opportunity to commend the federal government and other African countries that are signatories to the landmark Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement. The Association will also like to appeal to the nation’s professional associations to leverage this trade agreement that provides them the opportunity of exploring the different opportunities inherent in the various African markets”

Also speaking, the director general, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr. DanAzumi Inrahim, said rather than going abroad to look for expatriates that would execute projects in the country, the federal government will engage competent indigenous professionals

The NOTAP boss argued that one of the ways the incumbent government intended to demonstrate such commitment was through its Executive Order 5, which, he added, the government was vigorously pursuing.

According to him, the federal government was gradually moving towards the implementation of the Order, signed by the president, to encourage Nigerian professionals.

He added that the federal government, through NOTAP, would be collaborating with associations, such as the APBN, and also develop a database that would consist of list of qualified professionals in the country, as a way making the Order work.

“By doing that, we are sure that with the click of a button, we are able to know where to find who, when projects are about to be implemented, instead of the tradition of looking beyond the shores of the land for professionals that would execute such projects,” he added.

TodayNG