The Nation Newspaper

Tag: architects

  • Be our ambassadors – Architects’ council boss urges retired staff

    Be our ambassadors – Architects’ council boss urges retired staff

    President of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Arc. Oladipo Ajayi, has called on all its retired staff to be good ambassadors of the council.

    Ajayi made the call recently in its Lagos office while sending forth more than 10 retired staff of the council.

    The ceremony, which was first since the establishment of the council in 1969, according to Ajayi, became necessary to reward excellence, dedication and  loyalty of its retired workers.

    The retirees include Mrs. Titilayo Adenekan, Mr. Anthony Aghwadowa, Mr. Matthew Obodeti and Mr. Andrew Ohiomah.

    Others are Mr. Celestine Ikekweren, Mr. Ojo Jones and Mr. Otegbade Sunkanmi. 

    The list also includes Mr. Saidi Yusuf, Mr. Mohammed Sani, Mr. Godson Gbufor, Mr. Salifu Ibrahim, Mrs. Salawu Tawakalitu and Mr. Abdulhamid Musa.

    Speaking during a brief ceremony, Ajayi, who acknowledged the workers’ loyalty, said that now that they have retired, they should not dissociate themselves from the council.

    Ajayi, who noted that the journey had been tortuous, however, thanked God for the achievements the council had recorded under his leadership.

    He said: “It is clear that our staff have been so supportive and wonderful. Hence, their efforts and dutifulness have helped us to get to where we are today. And I can’t thank you enough.

    “Many of you retirees will recall that when I came in as the President of ARCON, I inherited 15 court cases but with your support, we have won 12. Kudos to you all.

    “We called for this ceremony to publicly sing your praises over your meritorious service with the council. With what God has enabled us to do, together, we have laid a foundation that cannot be shaken for ARCON.

    “Though you have served and retired, I urge you to stand for the truth and nothing but the truth.  In as much as we are eager to identify with you, we urge you to identify with us and represent us well in all your endeavours.

    “All of you have done well and we implore you to watch our back for us. All of you have done well and we implore you to watch our back for us. I’m eternally indebted to you all.”

    The president also charged serving staff to exemplify good spirit and dedication to their job and surpass the landmarks the retirees have established.Ajayi charged them to pay more sacrifice in order to raise the bar of architecture in Nigeria, which is one of the mandates of the council.

    Be thoughtful, be more active and come up with fresh innovations and ideas that will increase the council’s earnings.”

    The Registrar of ARCON, Umar Murnai, who expressed gratitude to the retirees, noted that ARCON having reviewed its achievements in the last few years, concluded that the members of staff have been very diligent in executing their task.

    Murnai, who said this was the first since the council was established in 1969, added: “Without their work, the council wouldn’t have been able to achieve its feat.”On why the event was held in Lagos, the registrar said: “We decided to do it in Lagos to, in a way, commission the newly remodelled ARCON building in Lagos. “Now, we have enough space to engage in our activities.”

    He urged all the retirees to be good ambassadors of ARCON, saying, “Don’t dissociate yourself from ARCON.”

    Arc. Kayode Anibaba, appealed to ARCON to take good care of the retirees. “They are assets who know the history of the council more than some of us. Yes, they have retired, but they can still be useful to the council. I plead that no matter what, let’s ask after their welfare because they’ve done a lot for ARCON.”

    Arc. Ladi Lewis called on the council to carry along both the retired and serving staff, and urged the retirees to be good ambassadors of ARCON.

    Read Also: ARCON registers new architects, warns against unhealthy rivalry

    Noting that many of them are living archives of the council, he urged the council to work towards coming up with its history, using some of the narratives from the retirees.

    One of the retirees, Anthony Aghwadoma, thanked the council for its gesture and pledged to offer any assistance within his power to the council at any time.

    Another retiree, Andy Ohiomah, who expressed delight over the send-forth, praised the council and management ARCON for taking the right step in redeveloping its Lagos office  

    He said: “I’m happy that we’re not being sent forth under Potter’s cabin”, adding that the delivery of the project was a dream come true for him.

    ARCON for the first time since its establishment in 1969 thought it necessary to organise a send-forth ceremony for all its retired staff.  The event was held last week in Ikoyi, Lagos.

  • ‘Patronise registered architects, others’

    ‘Patronise registered architects, others’

    President of Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Mrs. Mobolaji Adeniyi, has said the only antidote to forestall collapse and other deficiencies in the building sector is for the government and individuals to patronise registered architects and other professionals.

    She spoke in Ibadan during her post inauguration thanksgiving and luncheon as the 30th president of NIA.

    Adeniyi, the second female president of NIA, attributed the loss of lives and valuables at building sites via collapse of structures to the unwholesome engagement of quacks in the building industry to handle projects.

    She said: “We urge the government at all levels to patronise only registered architects and other professionals in the building sector. We have seen a lot of building collapsing in Nigeria because professionals were not involved in the process leading to the implementation of such projects.

    Read Also; NIN and passports

    “Architects are the leaders in the building industry. Any building from inception starts with the architects to the final completion. Architects design and supervise to ensure that the projects that are conceived are physically implemented. We collaborate with other structural experts to ensure buildings are constructed in such a way that it conforms to global standard.

    “But when every building has an architect, qualified engineers and other professionals handling these projects, we will not be having incidence of building collapse.” 

    On the challenges facing NIA, she said in Oyo State, just like other states, “we don’t have enough architects in offices, most especially in the planning departments. All the 774 local governments must have qualified and registered architects. This is because if you don’t have architects, how can you approve the drawings that are going out?”

    The President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), who is also the President of Sword of The Spirit Ministries, Bishop Francis Oke, hailed the emergence of Adeniyi as the national president of NIA, describing her as a virtuous professional in the building industry.

  • Architects challenged on ethics, professionalism

    The number of registered architects and firms yesterday swelled, as the  Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) inducted about 450 persons and firms.

    They were charged not to breach professional ethics, but to uplift professionalism in their undertakings.

    ARCON gave the charge in  Abuja, while licensing the new architects.

    Its President, Mr. Dipo Ajayi, who stressed on integrity and professionalism, urged the new architects to think out of the box to make a difference.

    “I congratulate all of you for going through the processess. It is not how long you live, but, it is the fulfilment you derive in life.

    “Don’t ever think that your licence can give you all you want in life, but, fulfilment should be your drive.”

    Accroding to Ajayi, the nation is going through enterprenuerial revolution, calling on architects to be dynamic and think out of the box to make impactful difference.

    Warning against misconduct, the ARCON president reminded the new entrants that the regulatory body has an Architects Investigative Panel (AIP) and Architects Disciplinary Tribunal (ADT) that would deal with cases of infraction without fear or favour.

    ARCON immediate past president Umaru Aliu, who condemned  quackery, urged the architects to uphold the code of conduct and ethics.

    “We have the code of professional conduct and ethics to guide all our undertakings as architects. Unfortunately, we are where we are today due to lawlessness that has pervaded the land.

    “Foreigners don’t come and take the job all by themselves. They hide behind those who front for them.”

    He charged the new architects to do the right always and to memorise the code to avoid temptation.

    Umoru Karaye, who spoke on “Condition of engagement, charges and agreement by professional architects”, urged the architects to familiarise themselves with the document, which he said, was developed for the protection of architecture in Nigeria.

    He also urged them to be good ambassadors of the profession, adding that those ahead of them in the profession would assist them where and when possible.

    ARCON Registrar Umar Murnai, who said the institute had come up with the Architects Projects Registration Number (APRN), to prevent incursion into their profession, tasked the inductees to promote the initiative.

    According to him, without APRN, you, as an architect, can not make any submission in Abuja, addding that the Council had made the process of getting the number seamless.

  • Architects, designers, others to attend construction fair in Lagos

    Excitement is growing in Nigeria for the launch of the country’s largest construction event, The Big 5 Construct Nigeria. The Nigerian Institute of Architects, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, the African Association of Interior Designers, the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Association), and the African Sustainable Energy Association (AFSEA) are in fact among the many organisations that already announced their support to the event holding in Lagos.

    Part of The Big 5 portfolio of events, the largest in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, The Big 5 Construct Nigeria will run from 9 to 11 September 2019 at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.

    “The extremely positive feedback we are receiving from industry stakeholders proves just how important it is for Nigeria to host an international construction event like The Big 5 Construct Nigeria today,” says Muhammed Kazi, Portfolio Event Director at dmg events.

    “At a time when the country is pursuing an unprecedented infrastructure development, the event will finally bring together influential decision-makers, innovators and suppliers from around the globe for three days of business and networking opportunities in Lagos.

    “The Big 5 Construct Nigeria is going to be a turning point in the advancement of the West African construction sector,” he adds.

    Over 200 exhibiting companies and more than 5,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the launch edition of the show. Confirmed brands include regional and global leaders like KELM, ABB, Philips, Crane, Eurotray, Tata, Hilti, and Magna Tyres, organisers dmg events reveal.

    “We are extremely proud to announce that next to Nigerian exhibitors, renowned companies from France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Turkey, and the UAE, among other countries, will take part in the event, making it a truly international show,” Kazi said.

    Beyond showcasing hundreds of solutions for the built environment, The Big 5 Construct Nigeria will also bring a wealth of free education to the Nigerian construction community.

    Across the three days of the show, visitors will receive complimentary CPD (Continuing Professional Development) certifications at 20 workshops to increase their technical expertise and advance their careers. Presented by renowned industry experts, the workshops will explore the latest construction trends and will offer crucial intelligence to advance the Nigerian building and infrastructure sectors.

     

     

     

  • How to check building collapse, by architects

    THE Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has called on  states to adopt its Projects’Registration Number (APRN) initiative, which was introduced to, among others, reduce the menace of building collapse.

    Its President of the Council, Dipo Ajayi, WHO spoke to reporters, was reacting to collapsed building in Lagos and other parts of the country.

    According to Ajayi,  the APRN System, which entails  numbering architectural projects, would further tighten the loose ends in monitoring building projects.

    Read also: Anxiety, pain as Lagos demolishes weak buildings

    “We want to collaborate with state governments to ensure that APRN becomes operational in all the states in country.  And we have been creating awareness on this,” he said.

    He added that, according to the process, architectural projects/drawings are prepared only by registered architects, submitted to ARCON and assigned the ARCON Project Registration Number (APRN) before submission for planning/implementation approvals.

  • UNILAG VC, architects council meet over collapsed building

    University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe and Architects Registration Council Of Nigeria (AR CON) leaders have met over a partially collapsed building in the school.

    The seven-storey building, which is under construction, is being proposed as the new library.

    It is beside the UNILAG bookshop, adjacent to Mariere Hall, near the Senate building.

    The Nation learnt that no one died in the incident.

    ARCON, led by its President, Sir Dipo Ajayi, visited the site on assessment, but could not gain access.

    But he, with council members Kayode Anibaba, Adebayo Dipe and Ladipo Lewis were briefed by Ogundipe.

    Ogundipe said the building was sealed off immediately it collapsed.

    The VC said UNILAG Council Chairman Dr. Wale Babalakin took over further actions on the project and investigations after he was briefed.

    The Nation learnt that ATO Architects, Landmark Structural Engineers, Tuber Consult Quantity Surveyors, IFC Mech and Elect, CPMS Project Manager and Dutum Company Ltd are the project’s consultants.

    Ogundipe said the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) awarded the contract, describing it as a fixed contract with counterpart funding from UNILAG.

    He said he notified the investigative panel raised by the university of his observations about the contractor, his inadequacies and slow pace of work.

    Ajayi requested that Dipe  be allowed to serve on the panel as ARCON’s representative.

    The new Director of Works, Babatunde Oloko, took the ARCON team to the site for  visual inspection.

    The team is expected back today after getting Babalakin’s nod to access the site.

  • Architects ‘most ideal’ in project supervision

    An architectural expert, Festus Fawohunre, has advised the Federal Government to come up with a legislation that will empower only the Architecture Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to approve building drawings.

    Fawohunre spoke on the sideline of the 2017/2018 Town and Gown Interaction, organised by the Department of Architecture at Caleb University, Imota near Ikorodu, in Lagos State.

    He spoke on the theme: ‘’Finding your place in architecture.’’

    Fawohunre, who is principal partner, Facon Consult Nigeria, said architects were the ‘most ideal’ in supervising construction projects.

    He underscored supervision of construction sites by architects, adding that about 90 per cent of designs prior to construction were based on assumption.

    He said: “The architect would not have a faintest idea of how the soil on which the building would be erected, would look like.

    “I am not saying that the architect is the only person that can supervise the building, but he is the best person. It may not be the same architect who designed the drawing of such a building, another architect can supervise. It is possible that underneath the site, there may be water in the soil when the design was made with the survey plan, based on assumption.

    “There will therefore be the need for an adjustment when the architect gets to site and finds out the reality on ground.

    “That is why the architect must be on ground at the construction site.

    “This (proposed legislation) will enhance more professional architectural works,’’ Fawohunre said.

    He continued: “No surveyor can have a beacon plan without buying a beacon machine from SUCON. The government should, therefore, do the  same for architects by providing an enabling law for ARCON to issue drawing numbers for building plans.’’

    Fawohunre canvassed mentorship that would entail pupil-architects understudying their experienced colleagues. He noted that such mentorship, which could be in a ratio of one architect to three graduates, would enable young graduates have access to opportunities in the industry.

    The institution’s Acting Dean, College of Environmental Sciences and Management, Dr Abel Oladipo, said the programme was organised to bring stakeholders to share experiences with the students.

    “We are producing students, most of whom will be working in the building industry. So, we have brought the experts together so that they can tell the students how to relate and succeed in the outside world,’’ Oladipo added.

     

  • Four architects lose suit to dissolve ARCON

    Four members of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) have failed to get court’s order to dissolve the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

    The suit, instituted by Tonye Braide, Abimbola Ajayi, David Majekodunmi and Dike Emmanuel against ARCON, sought, among others, a legal pronouncement that ARCON had  been dissolved.

    The court, however, ruled otherwise, noting that the case lacked merit. The presiding judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari, of a Federal High Court, Lagos, consequently the dismissed case.

    The plaintiffs, Braide is NIA immediate past president; Ajayi (General Secretary); Majekodunmi, (Chairman, Students Affairs Committee) and Emmanuel, (Chairman, International Affairs Committee) in the last executive of the professional group.

    Trouble started when they challenged ARCON over the conduct of professional exams. While ARCON said it directed the NIA not to conduct professional exams, the NIA turned down the directive, and  held the exam. To assert its regulatory authority, ARCON, citing some ‘inadequacies’ in the process leading to the conduct of the examination, declined to register those adjudged to have passed the controversial examination.

    However, the plaintiffs claimed that trouble started between the former NIA executive members and the regulators in 2015, following the latter’s decision to conduct exams on professional practice for architects who wanted to register with ARCON – a position NIA frowned at, maintaining that such action ran contrary to the Act establishing ARCON.

    The four, armed with an alleged circular dated July 16, 2015, from the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, which purportedly dissolved ARCON, went to court challenging the position of the regulator.

    Justice Shagari, after reviewing the submissions of counsel, held that the plaintiffs did not show or present to the court sufficient evidence that the contested circular of the Federal Government affected ARCON in its statutory functions in any way.

    “A careful examination of the said circular does not capture ARCON and therefore, it is without doubt to say that the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs in this application did not succeed on the grounds that the defendants according to part C of Companies and Allied Matter Act 2004 (CAMA) are professionals, which regulate the affairs of all its registered members,” the judge ruled, adding that if the circular of July 16, 2015, did not affect the defendants, then, any action taken by ARCON couldn’t be seen as ultra vires or void.

    “I, therefore, uphold the submission of the defendants’ counsel and hold that the Federal Government of Nigeria circular dated 16th July 2015 did not dissolve the defendants, as they are not appointed by the government of Nigeria. This originating summons is dismissed for lack of merit,” Justice Shagari ruled.

    NIA President, Adibe Njoku, said  the plaintiffs in the case went to court in their capacity and not on behalf of the NIA.

    This, Njoku explained, meant that the NIA had nothing to do with the suit, as there was no time the Council of the NIA okayed the siut against ARCON.

  • Youths urged to be the architects of their future

    A socio-political advocacy group, Part-finders Nigeria Initiative (PNI),  has called on  youths to become the architects of their own future by showing more interests in the political development in Nigeria and participate actively in the political leadership selection process.

    In a statement in Abuja yesterday, J

    by its Executive Director, Chief SBN Nwokolo, an architect, after a meeting to review recent developments in the polity, the group stated that, ” sitting on the fence when things are going wrong in the nation amounts to a tacit endorsement of bad leadership and continuous rape and underdevelopment of the nation.

    ” Nigeria  belongs to all her citizens. And the right for citizens to participate in the governance process or selection of those that should genuinely represent their interests in leadership positions, in a democratic government at all levels, is guaranteed by the constitution,” the group said.

    It added that  “standing aloof or grumbling in one’s private space, or  on the social media about the ills of successive governments, without taking any legitimate, realistic steps, aimed at reordering the patterns of events that are contrary to the will of the people, makes one complicit in the continuing failure of leadership in our land. It is imperative to note that your singular vote  can make a difference in the choice of who represents you as a councilor, local government chairman, at the House of Assembly, National Assembly, governor or at the highest level, the presidency,” the goup noted, as it argued that “but without a valid voter’s card, automatically you make yourself irrelevant in performing this very important constitutionally given right.”

    The PNI called on all Nigerians of voting age, who had not yet registered as a voter to take “the important step of making themselves eligible for voting in the coming elections by taking advantage of the ongoing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voters registration exercise, as our vote is not only our power but our life, in a way.

    According to the group whose objective is given as advocacy  for “transparent, purposeful leadership, ethical reorientation, peace and uplifting of humanity”, a well utilised  electoral vote will give the electorate the “power to not only design the future they desire but also help in shaping a Nigeria of their dreams. As citizens begin the process of surviving the problems of unemployment, insecurity, poor healthcare delivery, infrastructure decay among others by using their votes wisely.”

  • Stakeholders ask architects for practical, affordable blueprints on slums

    Architects  need to redefine themselves within the community in which they live. They need to rethink their relevance in serving the citizenry of Lagos as it is. They need to think ‘Out of the Box’ to ensure that Lagos slum areas are included in the designed built-environment, otherwise, regeneration of true Nigerian Architecture will be impossible and extinction becomes imminent.”

    This was the submission of participants and stakeholders in the architecture industry at the just concluded Lagos Architects Forum 2017 tagged: LAF 8.0. It held at the Jasmine and Zinnia Halls, Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. An estimated 2,300 participants from the building construction sector, other industries and parts of the country attended the event.

    The theme of the conference,  “Lagos 8.0 – An Architectural Autopoiesis,” focused on the issues of regeneration, rebuilding, recreating and re-inventing the built environment in general and addressing housing challenges in particular in the light of the present economic recession in the country.

    In a communique at the end of the forum, architects were urged to reposition themselves and their profession as the driver of the new revolution. This should be with a view to moving the state to a new pedestal that will solve the myriad of housing challenges being faced by the low income groups, and indeed the slum areas of the state.

    Given the prevailing economic challenges in the country, stakeholders  also urged architects not to only serve the elite, who can afford to pay for their services, but  extend their services to the low and middle income citizens, who constitute more than 70 per cent of the populace. Engaging in this, it is believed, will have collateral advantages of being more relevant to the society, help in reducing the slums and blighted areas and in the long run, create suitable jobs for architects.

    Participants at the conference also admonished architects to be in the vanguard of leading advocacy to form lasting policies that affect the built environment and its current challenges, as the issue of homelessness remains an embarrassment to the nation and indeed the megacity of Lagos State. Architects were also urged to think “out of the box” in producing practical and affordable blueprints that had scientific and empirical data basis in solving the ‘Nigerian Problem’ in a contextual way.

    Stakeholders at the conference also had words for the government: Government needs to ensure that well trained, qualified and registered relevant professionals, architects, engineers and planners were deployed for the task of enforcing efficient  control systems for vetting, processing and approval of design drawings,  ahead.

    The communique also noted the continuous exponential increase in Lagos State population and the challenges of land for development matter and called on the government to muster all political will for the provision of real affordable and sustainable housing for the vulnerable, the poor and the low income citizenry.

    The communique further held that in view of the on-going economic recession and the astronomical increase in the cost of imported building materials, stakeholders in the construction and built environment were urged to engage more pro-actively in the research and development of local building materials, such as  bamboo for structural work and lateritic clay soil for stabilised bricks on a commercial basis. This, they said, is necessary, as no housing solution can be sustainable on the current or floating foreign exchange rates.

    Earlier in her keynote address at the conference, a former Provost, College of Medicine and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) University of Lagos, Prof. Sade Ogunsola, who spoke on the topic:“AnArchitectural Autopoiesis- the Linkage of the built environment to non-living social autopoietic systems”, said autopoietic systems included second level social systems made up of societies, organisations and interactions. “They reproduce themselves from within themselves, a recursive reproduction of its elements through its elements, meaning that architects as part of non-living autopoietic systems have no option but to reorganise themselves irrespective of their different school of thoughts,” she explained.

    Ogunsola said from various extrapolation, Lagos will have a population of 300 million people by 2050 and become the third largest city in the world by then. Given this situation, she said what should be of concern is how architects plan to cope with these large numbers, especially as 70 per cent of the population live in the slums.

    “Architects are, therefore, by implication, responding to only 30 per cent of the population and in reality only a third of this number. If architects do not regenerate themselves and attend to the 70 per cent of Lagosians who require decent and healthy shelter even within their present existing environment, they would have failed in the autopoietic social system in which they operate,” she submitted.