ARCON, Lagos meet over architectural standards

The Lagos State Government and the Architects Registration Council (ARCON) have raised a joint committee on the modality and possible implementation of Architects’ Project Registration Number in the state.

Four members of the committee were drawn from ARCON, while four came from the ministry.

Those from ARCON, includes the registrar of the Council, Umar Murnai, Kayode Anibaba, Ladi Lewis and Tiwalola Fadeyibi, while on the side of state government are Abiola Koseegbe, Funmi Osifuye and General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPA); Tpl. Aliu .

The project is expected to address the menace of building collapse and quackery, plaguing the construction industry

President of ARCON, Sir Dipo Ajayi, who led the team to Lagos State’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, said it is necessary for the state to critically look at the initiative and adopt it as one of the conditions to be met before commencement of any real estate project.

Speaking on the initiative,, Ajayi said his Council had put in place ARCON Projects Registration Number (APRN) to among other things tackle the menace of building collapse and quackery, plaguing the construction industry.

He revealed that, the initiative had since been adopted by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that, if Lagos State adopts the policy, it would have done itself greater good because the initiative would be additional internally generated revenue to the state.

In his presentation, Murnai said that, this measure was to complement the content and spirit of the National Building Codes, which are to ensure that only professionals with the requisite knowledge and expertise of the building process are engaged to carry out building projects and are duly governed by the various Acts in our statute books.

According to the Registrar, APRN is a mandatory registration number issued to all architects practicing in Nigeria for each of their projects.

He said, this is to certify that these projects are being executed by Nigerian citizens, who are fully registered with the professional body.

Murnai added that, the project registration number serves as a layer of quality assurance regarding the quality of the built environment.

He said with that initiative, 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.

Specifically, the Registrar said the Council had observed that certain regulation in the state’s planning law empowers draftsmen to design, urging the state to remove that provision, as it runs against the federal government’s provision and courts’ pronouncement.

While a few clarifications were raised by the officials of the state, the Ministry’s PS said the government had noted the Council’s grouse, assuring them, that the offending section may soon be removed through government’s policy.
But some staff in the ministry expressed fear that the adoption of APRN may further delay the planning process in the state.

Responding, Murnai said, the process was automated, hence, it would not delay the planning process, rather, it will make help the state to ensure standardization, which will also help the state to increase its internally generated revenue.