Lagos State govt commits to 2030 smart city vision
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, yesterday, urged professionals, particularly architects, to lead the campaign in ensuring that authorities prosecute culprits in building collapse cases across the country.

He also decried non-enforcement of the provisions of the Physical Planning and Urban Development Law, designed to bequeath a livable and safe environment in Lagos.

Falana spoke at the Lagos architects forum 14.0 tagged; “Lagos: An evolving organism,” organised by Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA).

He said: “Architects must pursue those who are killing the people. Building collapse is becoming an embarrassment. When a building collapses, the law says that those who are responsible must be brought to book. The entire organisation in the building industry must take control. Mind our business by enforcing the physical and urban planning law of Lagos State.”

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said architects must take a look at their law, which requires every practicing architect to register, adding that any fake architect found in the profession has committed an offence and is liable to imprisonment.

He also advised the citizens to take more than a passive interest in the affairs of the country, starting with the politics of Lagos State and ask questions about what is going on, especially as regards how taxes collected by the government are utilised.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, said the big vision for Lagos is that by 2030, the smart city ambition of the state would have been fully realised. She said the state government is determined, more than ever before, to drive the institutional framework that will guarantee and provide an enabling environment to encourage and support the people.

Chairman of NIA, Lagos chapter, David Majekodunmi, said before professionals could contemplate the practice of the future, they must sharpen the tools at hand.

He said in fulfilling professional responsibility to the building industry, the state chapter had developed the Architects Intervention Programme (AIP), which is designed to help architects establish the best standards for projects and reduce project risks and liability, while helping the environment and saving lives.

He said that with AIP, project status could be managed.

Majekodunmi, therefore, appealed to all industry stakeholders to incorporate the outcomes of the forum into their plans, programmes and policies for a better operating environment that will have the desired positive effect on economies.

Also, President of NIA, Enyi Ben-Eboh, said through the programme, the profession would continue to be at the front burner of solution-based discussions on issues that affect the industry and the broader society.

He, therefore, called on the state government to collaborate with the institute in deepening its AIP.