Govs responsible for our woes – Ex-NIA president
How did the election go? Election went well, very successful and the most interesting aspect was the manifesto night when we gave all the contestants opportunity to address members on what they’re coming to impact on the institute if they won. How many architects participated in this election? More than 1,500 registered architects are here […]
How did the election go?
Election went well, very successful and the most interesting aspect was the manifesto night when we gave all the contestants opportunity to address members on what they’re coming to impact on the institute if they won.
How many architects participated in this election?
More than 1,500 registered architects are here – the first time in the history of this institute.
What do you ascribe to this?
That shows how God assisted me to give this institute a positive image. For the first time, at the last AGM, we made big profit. This BGM, we made big profit and we’re leaving not less than N80 million. At the council meeting, there was accolade.
During your time as president, what did you do to add to government policies?
Government policies in the past were more on paper. But there’s a regulatory body we call Architects Registration Council of Nigeria, ARCON. It is empowered to regulate the practice of architecture and it uses NIA structure.
Because of political interference in the affairs of professional bodies generally – whether in private practice or government or education, interference of political elite has really affected professionals in the economy.
But the change, the new president, we’re very hopeful that we’ll move forward. Policies are there but how to prosecute…
We’re still trying our best. Incidence of collapsed buildings has reduced, not because of government’s policy but because of our insistence in educating the public to ensure that every building should have an architect. So if a client wants a design, he must get an architect. Because in those days when collapsed buildings was not known, any developer, after surveying the land would meet the architect and would entrust the architect to invite his own team in the profession: structural engineer, mechanical/electrical engineer, surveyor and every architect had to ensure that they invited qualified persons. If a building collapsed that time, it was architect that would first be arrested. But now, any person claiming to be a developer, design whatever they want and build without qualified professionals.
Then influx of foreign professionals. It goes back to the politicians mostly at the state level because at the federal level, it’s almost not there.
But we have the likes of Julius Berger, CCECC doing federal projects…
Julius Berger, the chairman is a Nigerian. It has Nigerian directors.
But its head office is offshore.
Yes. But there are other areas especially state governors go across to South Africa, Dubai to bring professionals to even design, not even construction. We have to look inward and warn our members because when we complain to approving authorities, they tell us to look inwards because they don’t approve drawings without architects’ seal. And by the time they bring this from abroad, our members will still put seal on them. We’re educating our members – telling them that if they do this, it’s not in the best interest of the profession.
NIA I met, we had so many challenges. We had to concentrate on these challenges to solve them. From there, the man coming in will inherit a better NIA and will be able to concentrate on other aspects.
And those areas I was unable to dot the Is and cross the Ts – he was First Vice President – it’s team work so it will be easy for him to come tidy up the things that weren’t fully settled.
As you leave the seat of NIA president, where are you heading?
Luckily, since I finished from school, I have been in professional practice and I worked for some firms and I became partner before I started my own. As president of NIA, I had structure, I had partners who carried on with the job. I’ll go back to my practice. It’s there. After taking a deserved rest, I’ll go back to my practice.
As NIA president, I wasn’t able to really concentrate, to put all my energy but I had partners, that’s one thing about our practice, if you’re not selfish, you have partners and you don’t feel it. But it’s not same as you’re there. So I’m going back to my practice.