Fashola seeks compulsory registration of architects

Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has recommended a compulsory ARCON Project Registration Number System (APRN) to derail the determination of quacks and contain the scourge of building failures and collapse.

Fashola made this recommendation yesterday in Abuja at the 2019 Architect Colloquium organised by the Architect Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

The minister, represented by the ministry’s Director for Public Private Partnership, Eucharia Alozie, said: “The Federal Government is therefore in full support of the APRN concept, especially the idea that architects are to tag projects with registration number. We are thus waiting for its implementation and that training and re-training of architects should be intensified as obtainable in other clients.”

According to him, architects should not only design durable structures that are safe and resilient but must ensure they are fit for purpose.

He said ARCON should ensure that the activities of quacks in the profession are checkmated and corruption associated with the profession, especially with regards to the procurement of architectural services, is curtailed.

This, he said, would improve efficiency of the building designs and supervision process, which will result in cost- efficiency.

Also, Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi advised the ARCON to ensure implementation at the state level, adding that the country needs more architects at the state level.

On his part, President of ARCON, Dipo Ajayi, explained that the body instituted the 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.

“Our country had the manpower potential required to make our buildings safe for human habitation and use. With proper policy and planning, we can scale up this potential to meet the expanding demands of our developing economy and we must take concrete actions to ensure that we produce safe buildings,” he said.