Professional architects have moved to make certain that only firms properly registered in Nigeria and foreign ones practice in partnership with a qualified Nigerian body. This was announced by the President, Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria, MR. Kitoyi Ibare-Akinsan.
‘’The arrival of foreign professionals in built and construction industry has continued to be a problem.
This is a key basis of professional alarm to us. Yes, it is true that there are foreign professionals in the industry while there is an intolerable level of Nigerian professionals not taking part in the business.
There are three bodies running the affairs of the profession of architecture in Nigeria namely: ACANigeria, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and ARCON.
ACANigeria is partnering  with ARCON to guarantee that only firms properly registered to practice in Nigeria are permitted to do so with a stipulation that where a foreign architectural firm is required, it shall be in partnership with a capable Nigerian firm performing and making at least of 40 per cent.
When a building crumples, the professional bodies excuse building professionals. Please be confident that building professional drawings go through authorization by government building control agency before a statutory permit is issued for construction on site.
That process typically should guarantee that the drawings are satisfactory for the construction. Nevertheless at this phase of our development in Nigeria, the staff of the building control agency is a work in progress and it is important to the triumph of the agency, and the stoppage of building collapse.
Secondly, I am of the outlook that in the construction industry, we have to borrow from the aviation industry in the setting up of the building control agency, so that occurrences of building collapses can be prevented and accurately investigated when they happen.
The setting up of the agency should be on the concurrent list so that all states have an agency while the federal has a master agency put up in a way to strictly aid the states. Even in Lagos State, the building control agency is still to be completely effectual. This agency is vital in eliminating the distressing cases of building collapse.
Source: Gurdian newspaper Nigeria.
