ARCON to partner Bell varsity in new architecture programme

Architects Registration Council Of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Bells University of Technology (BUT), Ota, Ogun State have sealed a pact in a renewed effort to enhance the study of architecture in tertiary institutions.

The pact was agreed on last week during a visit by ARCON President, Sir Dipo Ajayi and his team. They were received by the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, along with principal officers and other senior management staff.

In an interactive session with the vice-chancellor, Ajayi, who commended the university for its leadership role, urged them to work towards having a faculty of architecture, adding that his council had approved additional 15 programmes.

He said ARCON came up with these programmes, in fulfillment of its mandate of enhancing the practice of architecture as well as preparing students of architecture to be employable after their study.

Ajayi, who reiterated the primary functions of ARCON, said the council decided to visit the citadel of learning with a view to adding value to the university, as well as to boost the morale of both the lecturers and students of architecture.

According to Ajayi, the introduction of the programmes, if adopted in Nigerian universities and polytechnics, will drastically address challenges of capital flight plaguing many disciplines.

These programmes, Ajayi added, will also boost the entrepreneurship spirit among Nigerian students.

He said: “The council derives the power to register and control the practice of architecture in Nigeria, and it maintains a register of architects and architectural firms respectively in line with the enabling Act.’’

The ARCON president also told the vice-chancellor of its council’s readiness to partner with the university in the area of scholarship and exchange programmes, saying some countries are now in partnership with the council on these.

“It will interest you to know that we just got some scholarship slots, but they are already given out to some universities that showed interest.  If Bells University is interested, we can work that out in subsequent opportunities”, Ajayi added.

The president, who acknowledged the stride by the department of architecture, charged it to brace up by introducing practical courses that can make their products stand out among the crowd.

He urged the architecture department to make themselves more relevant to the university environment, adding that, architects are influential leaders.

While interacting with the students, Ajayi, who inspected some of the designs by the students, charged them to think outside the box and imbibe entrepreneurial spirit. He added that they should learn how their clients could freely release their funds to them.

In response, Prof. Ojerinde, who stated that ARCON was very important to the university, being a school of technology, said that architecture was one of their prime courses.

He assured the council that the university would look into all the proposals and see how it can effectively collaborate with ARCON.

Emeritus Professor James Ighalo, Dean, College of Environmental Sciences, pleaded with ARCON to assist the university in any way it can, saying Bells varsity was open to innovation and gestures that will boost the quality of the school, its members of staff and students.

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