Ajayi Warns Inductees to Beware of Architects Investigating Panel

By Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The President of Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Arc. (Sir) Gabriel Oladipupo Ajayi, has advised fresh architects inducted into the profession recently to be mindful of the Architects Investigating Panel, a disciplinary arm of the Council that could truncate their career if they became untrustworthy.

Ajayi gave the advice at the 10th Edition of the induction of newly registered Architects, technologists and architectural firms held at the National University Commission (NUC) Maitama, Abuja on Thursday, April 15, 2021, with the theme: “The Roles of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON).” The inductees were over 200, including architects, technologists and firms.

He said, “In order to continuously raise the standards of the Training and Practice of the Architectural Profession in Nigeria, the Council works through various Committees, Panels and the Architects Disciplinary Tribunal.

“The above listed Council Committees help the ARCON to achieve its set goals and objectives. So right from today you must be weary of the Architects Investigating Panel (AIP) and Architects Disciplinary Tribunal. You should as a matter of principle be above board at all times and ensure that you comply sufficiently with the content of the Act establishing the Council, the Architects Code of Conduct and Ethics, the Professional Scale of Fees etc. These and others are the tools you would now require in your day-to-day delivery of services to your clients. The very moment you run foul of these extant rules and regulations, the Council would wield the big stick by first sending your name to the Architects Investigating Panel(AIP), who as the name connotes is to investigate the extent of misdemeanour. Once the infraction is considered heavy enough, the offence would be escalated to the Architects Disciplinary Tribunal.”

He said the Council is not only there to deal with the issue of infractions alone in the lives of its registered members. The Council, working in concert with the relevant associations is coming up with a concise blue print for the continuous development of its members both as a student, sitting for the Architects Professional Competency Evaluation (APCE) and post registration with the Council. Going forward and in due time, your registration with the Council would only be sustained through the Continuous Professional Development. One of such programme is principally the annual Architects Colloquium.

Ajayi said the story of ARCON in Nigeria began five decades ago. The commencement of ARCON was on the 3rd of July 1969. ARCON derives the Power to Register and Control the Practice of Architecture in Nigeria from Decree No 10 of 1969 further amended by Decree No 34 of 1990 and now ARCHITECTS (REGISTRATION, ETC) ACT CAP A19, the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

It is a regulatory body recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria and charged with the responsibility of regulating the education and practice of the profession of Architecture in Nigeria as stated in Paragraph 2 (1) of the Act establishing the Council thus: “(1) There shall be established, a body to be known as the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (in this Act referred to as “the Council”) which shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid and shall be charged with the general duty of (a) Determining what standards of knowledge and skill are to attained by persons seeking to become members of the architectural Profession (in the Act referred as “the Profession”) and raising those standards from time to time as circumstance may permit.

The Council, he said is principally made up of 37 nominees of the Federating states and the Federal Capital Territory, 4 nominees each of the Minister of Works and Housing, Accredited universities and The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA).

Some of the achievements of the current Council 2018 to 2021 are: The Recertification of the Abuja ARCON Office land located at Jahi with plot nos. 1201/1203 with construction about to commence. We want to thank the current Council members for making personal donations both in cash and in kind towards the building of the ARCON House in Abuja despite the harsh economic constraints. We also use this medium to solicit for goodwill form you and other well-meaning Nigerians to support the Council.

Renovation of Lagos office whose contract has been awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. The contractor had since commenced work; The recognition and consideration for the registration of other members of the architectural family (Landscape Architecture, Interior Design architecture, Urban Design etc).

The automation of the ARCON Secretariat; The continuous accreditation of schools both local and foreign Universities; and the joint accreditation of Department of Architectural Technology programmes in our Nigerian Polytechnics by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) and the Council following a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

He also discussed the existence of the ARCON Project Registration Number (APRN). This is a mandatory registration number issued to all Architects practicing in Nigeria, for each of their projects, to certify that these projects are executed by Nigerian citizens, who are fully registered and financially current architects. Only fully registered and financially current architects and firms are eligible to prepare, produce and submit architectural building plans for approvals/implementation and to receive those approvals when they are given. The client is to allow for the acquisition on APRN registration on all their projects. So, as you step out of this place ensure that you are an apostle of the APRN in your state and the country Nigeria.

The Registrar of ARCON, Arc. Umar Murnai urged the inductees “to ensure that you represent the profession as good ambassadors and worthy architects that you are. I am sure that, you are aware of our Architects Projects Registration Number (APRN) initiative, and it behooves on you to propagate it everywhere as it the initiative has a lot of benefits to our states, architecture profession, the built environment and the society at large. You may be aware that APRN is already working in Abuja and the Council is working assiduously to take this to other states of the federation.”

He said, “Before the adoption of APRN in Abuja, 80 per cent of those submitting drawings were not registered architects, but I am glad to inform you that challenge is now a thing of the past in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). With APRN fully in operation in Abuja, only Nigerian architects can make submission and in projects having our foreign counterparts, it is mandatory for such foreign architects to partner with registered architects before they can make any architectural submissions.

“Architects and architectural firms who are registered with the Council are to submit architectural building plans for approval/implementation and are responsible for the supervision of their designs.

“This measure is to complement the old practice of submitting building with a copy of the architect’s current practice licence, the affixing of ARCON stamps, signed by the architect and sealed (with the architect’s ARCON seal) on each sheet of the drawings submitted for approval, a letter from the client stating that the architect shall be responsible for the supervision of their architectural design during the construction period, the placement of the ARCON Project Registration number (APRN) on each sheet of the drawings submitted for approval and the placement of the APRN number, together with the architect’s (or architectural firm’s) name/registration-number, on the project sign board upon commencement of construction.”