Experts task bricklayers on technology adoption

Some experts in the construction sector have advised bricklayers to embrace new technologies for durable construction that would boost production and guarantee quality assurance.

The experts made the call in Ikeja at the 2023 edition of the Lagos State Bricklayers Association's (LSBA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) with the theme “Traditional Masonry Techniques and Advancing Building Technology.”.

The event was sponsored by Dangote Cement Plc.

The guest speaker, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, who is a former National President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, compared traditional construction methods with new ones driven by technology.

Awobodu,the pioneer president of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild,stressed the need for bricklayers to adapt to the new methods through capacity-building programmes.

He advised them to change their perception of bricklaying as a dirty job, which they could not wish for their children.

“Bricklaying is a good trade that society needs on a daily basis, and you can make a lot of money through it,” he said.

He said that bricklaying was important for both employment and wealth creation in the face of the scarcity of white-collar jobs.

Awobodu said that youths should be encouraged to take up bricklaying to gain employment after graduating from school.

He said that such an engagement would discourage them from internet fraud referred to as ‘Yahoo Yahoo”.

Dr. Emmanuel Aladeloba, a former head of the building department at Yaba College of Technology, thanked a team from Dangote Cement Plc, which conducted training for the artisans.

He hoped that it woulddevelop the capacities of artisans.

Aladeloba, however, called on artisans to be honest and transparent while working on unmonitored sites.

He charged them to use the right measurements and materials.

“It is only when the house you built stays for long without cracking or collapsing that you can be called a bricklayer,” he said.

He warned artisans against accepting low pay to engage in substandard construction that could collapse in the future and result in loss of life and waste of investment.

He urged them to network with senior colleagues to further develop skills and remain relevant.

He advised them to apply the lessons they learned from the training on the use of the right measurements, angles, and dimensions to guarantee quality assurance for durable construction.

Aladeloba explained how site operations had been automated through new technologies to make construction easier.

“You don’t need to carry blocks on your heads now; there are machines that can do that, as well as plastering machines, which will ease your work and enhance productivity,” he said.

He also advised the bricklayers to introduce cadre grading based on experience so that new entrants would not earn the same pay as experienced ones in the daily pay schedule.

The Dangote team educated the artisans on different cement types, usage, and the need to always check the expiration dates of products before use to ensure the durability of projects.

Earlier, in his welcome address, LSBA President, Mr. Taye Dauda, thanked Dangote Cement for training and re-training its members.

Dauda said that nobody was above training, no matter his years of experience on the job.

He promised LSBA’s continued collaboration with relevant agencies to curb building collapse in Lagos State.