Institute decries dearth of architects in Kwara

NIGERIAN Institute of Architects (NIA) has lamented the shortage of architects in the services of the Kwara state government.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin as part of activities to mark this year’s World Architecture Day and fourth Architecture week celebration, the state chairman of the NIA Adekunle Adeyemo, said that the state government has only one registered architect in its employ.

Mr Adeyemo, who said that ideally, the state Town Planning Authority is expected to have a minimum of six registered architect, added that there are only a handful of architectural technicians at the Town Planning Authority.

He also said that each local government should have at least an architect. He lamented that this is not the case in the state.

“Every development control agency should have an office in each local government with about two architects. We also need architects in the ministry of Land and Housing,” he said.

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He also decried the government’s half-hearted implementation of Built Environment Laws as one of the factors responsible for incessant building collapse in parts of the country.

Other factors according to him are the use of substandard materials, quackery and dishonesty on the part of the developers.

“For us in Nigeria, the need to employ architects at local, state and Federal Government levels is imperative as many architectural services, departments, planning and development control offices are short of architectural staff.

“This need exists in Kwara state. We have many architects that are capable of producing great buildings around us so we should engage architects for all building projects, both public and private. The benefits of doing so far outweigh the cost.

“Today, building collapse with its attendant loss of lives and property is most popular because of possible fatalities. Some buildings may not collapse but fail structurally and require remedial works that are a huge economic drain.

Other types of design failures related to ventilation, lighting, services and circulation cost a fortune to remedy. The risk of such failures diminish greatly when an architect is on board the project”.