Architects to build skills centres for housing

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) is to establish skills acquisition centres in the nation’s six geo-political zones to facilitate the training of the workforce for the housing industry.

The Institute’s President, Arc Tunji Bolu made this known in Abuja when he led executive members of  NIA on a visit to the Federal Housing Authority (FHA).

He said the Institute was collaborating with international organisations such as the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) on the project which he said was aimed at addressing the dearth of skilled manpower in the industry.

He said the centres, when established would also assist in providing the relevant skilled manpower the country required to tackle its estimated housing deficit of 17 million.

Bolu said the NIA was worried about the spate of collapsed buildings in the country and urged the FHA to partner with it to stem the tide.

On its part, he said the institute would insist that professionals are used in the construction of houses and are adequately compensated to avoid the temptation to cut corners
Also, he said architects working on building sites were now required to display their names and the NIA logo at such sites.

Similarly, the NIA President said the institute was working with the nation’s insurance industry to ensure that insurance firms certify that buildings to be insured were handled by competent professionals.

Bolu said the NIA was building a befitting national secretariat in Abuja adding that they should be moving into the building by the end of next month.

He also announced that FHA’s Managing Director, Arc. Terver Gemade had been made a fellow of the Institute in recognition of his contributions to the Institute.

Describing Gemade as an organized and level headed professional, Bolu implored the Authority’s Management and Staff to support him at his investiture coming up in Lagos in December.

In his remarks, Gemade said the Management team under him was dissatisfied with the Authority’s scorecard and had decided to steer the organization in a new direction to enable it meet the aspirations of potential home owners.

He said the Authority, like other operators in the industry was faced with paucity of funds and lack of appropriate technology but that in spite of those shortcomings there had been tremendous improvements on the quality of the Authority’s products over the years.

He said the FHA had strong quality control groups in place to monitor and ensure strict compliance with the highest professional standards.

The FHA, he stressed had never experienced collapsed buildings because of its strict enforcement of the National Building Code.

Gemade said the Authority, through the Public Private Partnership delivery model had opened a window of opportunity for the private sector to join hands with it in housing delivery adding that it was expecting members of the institute and other professional bodies to take advantage of that opportunity.

He expressed appreciation to the NIA for elevating him to the rank of Fellow and promised to continue to put in his best in advancing the cause of the institute.