Only professionals can curb building collapse in Nigeria — NIA

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) on Monday disclosed that the use of professionals in building projects is the only way to end the menace of building collapse in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event marking the 65th anniversary of the Institute in Abuja, the President of NIA, Arc Mobolaji Adeniyi, stated that the use of quacks has been the major cause of most building collapses in the country.

According to her, “there are so many people who are not registered architects that are pretending to be architects and are practicing in Nigeria, they are not licensed.

“So we are having challenges with quackery, too many people out there who are not qualified, who are not registered are practicing as architects,” she lamented.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the NIA Committee on Practice, Arc Peter Dateme, explained that many individuals referred to as architects or engineers, who handled failed projects, were not registered.

“It is not wrong to ask someone who claims to be an Architect, may I see your practicing license, because if he is not license to practice architecture, he is not supposed to handle the building projects.

“It is illegal for anybody who is not licensed to practice architecture or to practice as an architect to handle any building project. So this is very important, and it will help us to reduce the number of building collapse,” he stated.

Dateme noted that every architect must have a practice licence and a seal. He explained, “You may not see the seal immediately, but when he produces your drawings or other documents, he/she is expected to seal it with that seal, and that seal belongs to the federal government.”

He added that every architect must also have stamps that could be used. “So these are ways of finding out if this person is an architect, and it will help us. We are not only talking about architects, but we are also pushing forward for the other professionals too.

“Let it be a registered engineer, a COREN registered engineer. So what we are trying to establish now is to ensure that the team handling any building development from the beginning to the end is registered professionals who are licensed to practice.

“When this is done, we will have a reduction in failed buildings in Nigeria,” he stated.

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) was founded on 1 April 1960 as an association of independent professional architects with the aims and objectives of fostering friendship among members, catering for their welfare, and establishing mutual support and cooperation.

In 1958, an eight-member study group was formed to carry out the detailed planning for the establishment of the Institute, which ultimately culminated in its inauguration.

From a modest 13 members at inauguration, the Institute has experienced phenomenal growth in its membership, activities, stature, and influence both at national and international levels.

NIA’s total membership today stands at about 12,000 across five classes of membership, including Fellows, Full Members, Associates, Graduates, and Student Members, spread across 31 Chapters and the Federal Capital Territory.

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