The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) has urged the federal government to always endeavour to align all development policies with the needs, understanding, and support of Nigerians.

CCESSA national president, Ayodeji Adeoye, made the appeal at the association’s first quadrennial delegates conference with the theme “Responsible Leadership: Key to Sustainable Development and Progress” on Friday, in Abuja.

Mr Adeoye said that government policies must be deliberately tailored to bring visible relief to the masses, who are grappling with poverty, insecurity, and infrastructural challenges.

He explained that this was necessary because the masses were always the bearers of the yoke of government policies.

“Economic policies must have the backing of the Nigerian masses with a clear understanding of the timeline, both short- and long-term benefits.

“Most construction workers are unable to send their children to school now due to the economic situation in the country.

“We in CCESSA are in support of reforms that bear a clear pathway to reposition the nation’s economy,” he said.

He emphasised that policies should be supported by the greater majority of the masses and subject to constant evaluation by all stakeholders.

Mr Adeoye called for a robust mechanism to cushion the negative effects of various government reforms.

The CCESSA president added that policy reforms should be made known to the people and not be understood by the people in government alone.

He also called for greater political will to curb the country’s prevailing insecurity, as well as the electricity sector’s challenges to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Mr Adeoye said that, as stakeholders in Nigeria’s infrastructural development, CCESSA would like the federal government to have an all-inclusive standard procedure for the evaluation of contractors and contract awards.

According to him, the conference provides CCESSA with an invaluable opportunity, not only to reflect but also to strategise and inspire the direction to chart for the next four years.

Also speaking, Maigari Dingyadi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, assured CCESSA of the ministry’s continued support, adding that the ministry appreciated the contribution of the union to national development.

Mr Dingyadi, represented by Alex Olebe, the ministry’s Registrar of Trade Unions, urged unions to register their presence in the ministry.

He added that the ministry was in the process of training union officials for professionalism.

“The era of banging tables is gone. The government is improving, so channel your complaints through appropriate quarters, and it will be addressed,” he said.

The president of the Federation of Construction Industries (FOCI), Vincent Barrah, said that despite the importance of the Nigerian construction industry, it remained a sector faced with formidable headwinds.

Mr Barrah said the sector was beset by escalating project costs driven by volatile exchange rates and inflation, and disruption in material supply chains due to global and local economic instability.

He added that the difficulty in accessing finance, policy inconsistencies, delays in payments for completed works and security challenges also threatened both projects and lives.

“In such an environment, the survival of construction companies, and indeed the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of workers, is not something we can take for granted.

“This is why I am convinced that now, more than ever before, labour and employers must be partners, not adversaries.

“Our shared goal is not merely to win individual battles at the bargaining table; it is to ensure that there remains a table to bargain on,” he said.

Mr Barah noted that without a thriving and sustainable construction sector, workers, companies, and the nation would all become losers.

He reaffirmed that FOCI and CCESSA would remain steadfast partners as stakeholders in nation-building.

According to him, this will not only enable them to survive the difficult times but it will also position the nation’s construction sector for renewed growth.

(NAN)