Building collapse: We’ll stop foreign experts, make use of indigenous professionals ― FG

THE Federal Government, on Thursday, said it will, henceforth, be making use of indigenous professionals and firms in the design and execution of sensitive building projects, particularly those that house the nation’s security outfits.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, made this decision known in Abuja, while declaring open the 12th Architects Colloquium organised by Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

He declared that foreign experts would only be engaged when their Nigerian counterparts were not available, insisting that even at that, Nigerian professionals would be attached to understudy them.

Mr. Fashola, whose message was delievered by the Director, Public Private Partnership of the ministry, Mrs. Eucharia Alozie, said the government’s decision only permits foreign experts to be engaged for such sensitive projects where indigenous professionals were lagging behind.

According to him, the Federal Government is thus placing premium on the use of indigenous professionals and firms in the design and execution of projects including those involving national security.

Earlier in his speech, the ARCON President, Mr. Dipo Ajayi, said that the council would leave no stone unturned in the ongoing fight against quackery in the profession which was a major contributory factor to incessant collapse buildings in the country.

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He revealed that to curb incessant building collapse in the country, the council has developed a secret code, ARCON Project Registration Number System (APRN) to ensure that only qualified professionals were certified for any project.

“The secret code will help to check mate quackery and reduce activities that contribute to substandard execution of projects and the menace of building collapse.” He stated.

The ARCON president said the code shall be in all documents of the projects, which would certify that such works are being undertaken by the council’s duly registered architects.

“The council has instituted the ARCON Project Registration Number System (APRN) to certify that projects are done by duly registered architects and by so doing ensure they are executed by properly constituted teams of building professionals.

While alluding to the minister’s position on the use of indigenous professionals and firms, Mr. Ajayi said Nigeria has the manpower and potential to develop and deliver any project of global standard.