Stop Costly Project Mistakes

He explained that Zambia’s ambitious development targets, including increasing copper production to three million tonnes and electricity generation to 10,000 megawatts, depended heavily on reliable infrastructure and proper project management.

Prof. Malama noted that expanding mining production required dependable roads to connect mining areas to markets, while increased agricultural production also depended on efficient transport networks to move goods.

He said infrastructure should not be viewed merely as buildings, roads and other construction works, but as an important link between producers, businesses, markets and communities.

The Permanent Secretary highlighted the contribution of quantity surveyors in assessing investment options, conducting feasibility studies, advising on procurement, managing contracts and identifying risks before they became costly problems.

He said bringing professionals on board early gave project owners a better understanding of the financial and practical implications of their decisions, helping them avoid unnecessary expenditure and implementation delays.

Prof. Malama also drew attention to the need to maintain infrastructure after construction, saying the real value of a road or public facility lay in its ability to continue serving communities and businesses over time.

He urged government institutions, mining companies and private businesses to engage quantity surveyors from the project definition and feasibility stages through investment assessment, procurement and implementation.

On professional development, Prof. Malama said Zambia’s expanding mining and energy sectors were creating growing demand for expertise in commercial management, technology and infrastructure development.

He said building local professional capacity would prepare Zambian experts to handle increasingly complex projects while opening opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange with other African professionals.

Prof. Malama also urged the professional institute to maintain high standards, promote continuous professional development and strengthen accountability across the construction industry.

He cited the Quantity Surveyors Act No. 18 of 2024 as an important foundation for regulating and developing the profession in Zambia.

He said the country’s economic progress should ultimately be measured by what infrastructure enabled people and businesses to produce, transport and sell, and the lasting benefits it brought to citizens.

“The quality of our decisions matters,” Prof. Malama said, emphasising the importance of sound professional judgement from the planning stage through construction and maintenance.

He added that government institutions, professionals, construction companies, local authorities, communities and private investors needed to work together to deliver infrastructure that supported Zambia’s long-term development.

Zambia Institute of Quantity Surveyors (ZIQS) president Timothy Musole also called for stronger professional involvement in infrastructure projects, arguing that proper cost management and financial controls were essential to protecting public and private investments.

Musole said quantity surveyors needed to be brought into projects during planning and design, when decisions about scope, costs and potential risks were still being made.

He explained that once construction started, opportunities to influence project costs became increasingly limited, making early professional input important in preventing waste and avoiding expensive mistakes.

He stressed that successful project delivery required quantity surveyors to work closely with engineers, architects and other construction professionals, saying no single profession could deliver quality infrastructure on its own.

Musole said Zambia’s development needs extended beyond roads and public buildings to include schools, health facilities, processing plants, airports and reliable power infrastructure.

He pointed out that increased agricultural and industrial production also depended on processing facilities, energy supply and transport networks capable of connecting businesses to markets.

He said resources committed to such projects needed to be properly managed so that investments translated into tangible development benefits.

However, Musole raised concern over compliance in the construction industry, revealing that an inspection exercise covering approximately 30 projects had found only about five complying with the requirements of relevant legislation.

He said the findings highlighted a wider challenge, with many construction projects proceeding without adequate involvement of professional quantity surveyors.

Musole said ZIQS intended to strengthen its engagement with relevant institutions, including the National Council for Construction, to improve compliance and promote professional standards.

He added that implementation of the new legislation presented an opportunity to improve industry practices and ensure that construction projects benefited from the expertise of qualified professionals.

The ZIQS president also challenged quantity surveyors to protect the credibility of their profession through integrity, independent advice and sound professional judgement.

He said professionals needed to base their advice on realistic assumptions and proper assessments, even when their findings were not necessarily what clients wanted to hear.

Musole further encouraged young quantity surveyors and students to strengthen their knowledge of construction contracts, cost management and digital technology to prepare for the demands of a changing industry.

National Council for Construction (NCC) Board Chairman Colins Sitali called for stronger partnerships between public institutions and construction professionals, saying the construction industry remained central to Zambia’s economic transformation.

Sitali said infrastructure development supported economic activity, created employment and opened opportunities for businesses, making it important for the country to have professionals capable of delivering projects efficiently.

He pointed to Zambia’s development ambitions, including generating 10,000 megawatts of electricity, producing 10 million tonnes of maize, attracting five million tourists and expanding the mining sector.

He said achieving these targets required more than investment announcements, as the country also needed adequate infrastructure, sound planning and responsible management of resources.

Sitali observed that Africa’s growing demand for housing and other infrastructure placed greater responsibility on governments and industry players to improve project preparation, financing, design and construction management.

He highlighted the contribution of quantity surveyors in budgeting, financial planning, cost management and contract administration, saying these skills were important in ensuring that projects were delivered within available resources without compromising quality.

He also urged professional bodies and regulatory institutions to strengthen their working relationships and develop practical solutions to challenges facing the construction industry.

Sitali encouraged participants to turn discussions at the gathering into proposals that would improve professional practice and contribute to the development of a more competitive and responsible construction sector.

Silverline Ltd representative Yusuf Noah called for increased investment in industrialisation, innovation and skills development, saying Africa’s economic transformation depended on its ability to strengthen local production and create opportunities for young people.

Noah said industrial development required coordinated efforts across different sectors, with infrastructure, human capital and innovation providing the foundation for competitive industries.

He stressed that young people needed relevant skills and opportunities to participate meaningfully in industrial growth, adding that economic progress should translate into jobs and better livelihoods.

He also urged African countries to strengthen local industries and production capacity rather than continue relying heavily on external sources for goods and services.

Noah said infrastructure investment needed to go hand in hand with industrial development so that roads, power and other facilities supported productive businesses and expanded local economic opportunities.

Association of African Quantity Surveyors (AAQS) president Victor Otogo called for greater recognition of quantity surveyors in major infrastructure projects, warning that excluding cost-management specialists weakened accountability and exposed projects to delays and cost overruns.

Otogo said governments needed to recognise the role of quantity surveyors, particularly in Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, where cost control and contract administration were critical.

He expressed concern that some project arrangements did not adequately recognise qualified professionals responsible for managing costs and overseeing contractual obligations.

Otogo said quantity surveyors needed to be involved from the beginning of projects to help governments monitor expenditure, track implementation and ensure that public resources achieved their intended purpose.

He observed that poor project management often resulted in delays, rising costs and incomplete works, leaving communities waiting for infrastructure that had already consumed significant public resources.

The AAQS president also called for stronger professional cooperation across Africa, saying the association was committed to creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration among quantity surveyors from different countries.

He said the association had maintained a tradition of organising professional conferences across the continent, targeting at least three African countries annually to strengthen professional networks and share industry experience.

Otogo said such gatherings helped African professionals keep pace with international standards while building the relationships needed to respond to the continent’s growing infrastructure demands.

He further challenged African countries to ensure that local professionals and businesses benefited from the major investments taking place in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Otogo questioned how much of the investment flowing into African development projects was actually reaching African professionals and businesses, arguing that the continent needed to strengthen its own professional capacity.

He urged governments to ensure that qualified quantity surveyors were included in project planning, procurement and implementation, rather than bringing them in only after key decisions had already been made.

Otogo said professionalism, integrity and competence remained essential to building public confidence and strengthening the contribution of quantity surveyors to Africa’s development.