By Kingsley Adegboye

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (FMHUD) and Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) are in collaboration to begin School of Architectural Technicians (SAT) in Abuja.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, an architect, gave his nod for the use of the facility to ARCON to among other things enhance architecture and improve quality delivery in the construction industry.

Among others, the centre is expected to provide high-quality education and hands-on training in architectural technology while enhancing capacity development in the built environment, preparing skilled technicians ready to contribute to Nigeria’s growing architectural and construction sectors.

Conducting members of the council around the facility recently, ARCON president, Chief Oladipupo Ajayi, an architect, lauded Dangiwa’s gesture towards lifting architecture and the built environment.

“This facility has been here. Those who have followed the pronouncements of our supervising minister will agree with me that he is passionate to curb building collapse in Nigeria.

“And being a professional in the built environment, he is desirous of enhancing the sector.

“Hence, the minister agreed to this collaboration to begin this school.

According to him, the council will establish a curriculum that meets industry standards regulated by ARCON and offers skill acquisition in the built environment.

Ajayi, who noted that the facility can enroll 200 students in the first academic year, said it had commenced talks with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for needed accreditation and certification.

According to him, the centre will boost professional development (CPD) programs for industry practitioners.

The president, who said that the centre aligns with its core responsibility of determining what standards of knowledge and skills persons seeking to become members of the architectural profession need to attain, added this approval could not have come at a better time than now.

Ajayi, who added that the centre will aid its role of raising the standards from time to time as, said Nigeria’s urbanization and infrastructure development create a significant demand for skilled architectural technicians.

Facilities available in the centre include offices, classrooms and workshops, seminar rooms, hostels for accommodation, a restaurant serving students and guests, power house with generator, furniture and office equipment among others.

Programmes to be offered include diploma in architectural technology, certificate programs in Building Information Modeling (BIM), project management, sustainable architecture, construction management.

There will also be short courses in hard skill acquisition like masonry, plumbing, and electrical installations, tilling, POP installations among others.

Also, immediate past registrar, Umar Murnai, said that the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), has shown its readiness to back the school.

He, however said NBTE had given its guidelines, which ARCON was prepared to meet.

The council’s new registrar, Sule Utopa, said the school became necessary as the industry goes through constant and increasing changes in construction technology.

A council member, Arc. (Prof.) Sati Yohana, who expressed delight over the centre, commended Dangiwa for his resolve to enhance architecture with the centre.

“Here’s a centre coming to fruition based on the vision of the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through his Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Dangiwa , that will lead to architecture and society.

“Soon, this centre will be able to invite people from the society to train and help them acquire skills at the middle level. Our resource persons will be pulled from the practice and schools of architecture.

“We came here to access the centre with a view to improving it.

“This training centre will be a game changer in the built sector and it is certain that architecture will be better off when it takes off.

“This centre will expose the middle level trainees within the sector to current trends and by doing so, ARCON, would be making much impact on the society.”