Surveyors push security-first building designs to fight crime

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Lagos State Chapter, has called on the construction sector and governments at all levels to adopt Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design as part of efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, arguing that the design of buildings and infrastructure can help prevent crime before it occurs.

The institute made the call on Thursday in Lagos during its 18th Distinguished Lecture Series, themed ‘Security and Economic Development: Evaluating the Role and Effect of the Construction Sector in Addressing Nigeria’s Insecurities.’

Speaking at the event, the Host and Chairman of NIQS Lagos Chapter, Rilwan Balogun, said the lecture was conceived to identify practical ways the construction industry could support the government in addressing insecurity.

 “We all know that insecurity is everywhere, and we felt as construction industry experts, what can we do to assist the government in tackling the insecurity we are having all around. So, we felt the best way we can do is to have this Distinguished Lecture Series whereby experts in the field of construction as well as security can come together and discuss and fashion a way out,” Balogun said.

 He said discussions at the event had shown that security must become a key consideration in the planning and design of projects.

 “She has given us a lot of insights on how the construction experts can really tackle insecurity. Like, for instance, she was talking about the design. When we are designing, we should have it in mind that we are also taking care of security,” Balogun added.

 He also warned against corruption in project delivery, saying compromises in construction standards could worsen insecurity.

 “You need to be firm in whatever you are doing. No cutbacks, no reducing costs, no compromising in terms of materials and specifications,” Balogun said.

 The NIQS Lagos leader stressed that infrastructure development remains one of the most effective tools for improving security across communities.

 “We need to build more, we need to develop our country to the extent that security will not find its way within our lives,” Balogun said.

 Earlier in his address, Balogun described insecurity as an economic and development challenge, saying unsafe roads, abandoned projects and inadequate infrastructure undermine national growth.

 “The construction sector sits at the centre of all of this. We build the roads, the hospitals, the schools, the housing, and the critical infrastructure that create opportunities and restore dignity. This lecture series is not just an academic exercise. It is a call to action,” he said.

 Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd, Dr Kabir Adamu, Pamela Ugbonta urged construction professionals to embrace Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, also known as CPTED, as a national security strategy.

 Ugbonta noted that CPTED is based on the principle that buildings, public spaces and infrastructure can either create opportunities for crime or discourage criminal activities through proper design.

 “That concept, called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, is a security philosophy grounded in a simple proposition that the design and management of physical development can either create or remove conditions in which crime can arise,” Ugbonta said.

 She explained that the framework rests on five principles, including natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial reinforcement, management and maintenance, and target hardening: “The built environment should allow for a sense of security… Criminals are going places where they can’t be seen.”

 She added that poorly maintained public infrastructure often signals weak governance and attracts criminal activities.

 “Security design is only as effective as its maintenance. Security lighting that burns out and is not replaced, perimeter fencing that corrodes without repair, these are not only infrastructure failures. They are active security liabilities because they signal to criminal actors that the environment is unmonitored and undefended,” Ugbonta said.

 She further advocated security-conscious designs for schools and critical infrastructure, including controlled entry points, secure perimeter fencing, adequate lighting and CCTV surveillance.

 “Satellite-based safe school design, single controlled entry, secure perimeter fencing, adequate lighting, CCTV coverage would not eliminate the threat of armed groups, but it would significantly raise the difficulties and risks to attackers,” Ugbonta said.

 She also argued that investment in construction could reduce insecurity by creating jobs and stimulating local economies: “Every sustainable, dignified job created in the construction sector or in its supply chain is a structural alternative to the economic incentive of armed group recruitment.”

 She added that corruption in construction procurement had serious security implications, explaining, “Every naira lost to corruption in construction procurement is a naira that does not construct a school. It does not build housing units. Corrupt construction procurement is not a development failure. It is a security failure.”

 Representing the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Dr Aminu Bashir, the Deputy President, Bamidele Mafimidiwo, said construction and security were inseparable.

 “Every school built denies extremists a vulnerable population to recruit. Every road constructed extends the reach of the state into underserved communities. Every housing estate delivered signals of development in place of despair. Every job created on site is one more young person kept out of the hands of human exploitation,” Mafimidiwo said.

 He added, “When we ensure that public infrastructure is delivered efficiently and transparently, free of the waste that erodes public trust, we contribute directly to national cohesion and security.”

  Also speaking, the Public Relations Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, John Agbezin, said quantity surveyors play a critical role in ensuring accountability in public projects, which ultimately supports development and security.

  “Our role actually helps to ensure that money is spent for the good of the people. When the people are okay, there is less corruption, there is less crime, and that way we can have a very sane society,” Agbezin said.