GENERAL PHILOSOPHY AND
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

The building construction industry plays a vital
role in the transformation of the physical terrain
of any nation in its march towards greater
civilisation and economic independence.It is
also concerned with the assimilation and
utilisation of exogenous developments in
technology, management sciences and related
sciences to enhance building performance the
world over.
Apart from these factors the industry continuously strives to enhance the performance of buildings to make them safe, healthier, more comfortable to the user; more durable; easier, faster and less expensive to construct; and to a greater extent easier to manage and maintain. The attainment of these factors underscores the basic philosophy of building education which is to develop and advance the science and practice of building technology and construction management by employing the knowledge gained from various construction and management techniques for the site, the contract, the finance, and other production resources for the development of a built environment. There is therefore no gainsay in the statement that the building graduate stands in the forefront of those professionals expected to face the peculiar challenges of the Nigerian building and construction industry to provide solutions to those issues which will make the nation truly technologically great.

OBJECTIVES OF BUILDING PROGRAMME

Shelter is the third universally accepted basic need of all homosapiens, after food and clothing. It is, however, the most difficult to satisfy because of the intrinsic factors involved in the provision of human habitats. Several studies on the developmental programmes in the country have indicated the dire need for professionals in building research, planning and development sectors of the economy. Because the scope of activities in the building industry is quite wide, the prime objectives of the building programme in Obafemi Awolowo University therefore, is to produce graduates who will not only be competent in the science, technology and management of the building process but will also have specialized skills in at least one of four basic divisions of building namely: Construction Management, Building Structures, Building Services and Building Maintenance. He will also have sufficient generalized knowledge of other professions to be able to interact effectively in the coordination, the control, the channelization and the maintenance of the technological, human, economic and material resources involved in the building delivery process. The ultimate aim of this programme therefore, is to produce a graduate who can be put to work immediately upon engagement with little or no additional training of the employer as well as be acceptable for registration with CORBON (Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria) and other professional organisations involved in building process nationally and internationally. The prospective graduate is expected to be able to perform as a contract manager, premises manager, site agent/project manager, estimator, project management consultant, designer of building structures, building services experts, maintenance manager, facilities manager, and building officer/builder. He should also be able to function in the areas of building research, building finance, building economics, etc.

Prof. Adesanya
Head of Department