By Kingsley Adegboye

Registered architects have been charged not to breach the architects’ professional ethics, but to uplift professionalism in all their professional undertakings.

The Architects’ Registration Council of Nigeria ARCON, gave the charge recently in Abuja, while licensing hundreds of architects.

Arc. (Sir) Dipo Ajayi, President, ARCON, who said in his remarks that everything was not money, but integrity and professionalism, urged the newly licensed architects to think out of the box to make the difference.

“I congratulate all of you for going through all the processes. It is not how long you live, but the fulfilment you derive in life. Don’t ever think that your licence can give you all you want in life, but fulfilment should be your drive”, Ajayi said.

According to ARCON president, the nation is quietly going through a revolution, which is entrepreneurship. He therefore called on architects to be dynamic and innovative to make the desired impact.

Warning against misconduct, Ajayi reminded the new entrants that the regulatory body has in place both Architects’ Investigative Panel AIP, and Architects’ Disciplinary Tribunal ADT, that would deal with cases of infraction without fear or favour.

Arc. Umaru Aliyu, ARCON’s immediate past president, speaking at the event, lamented that the profession has been infiltrated by quacks, and called on the licensed architects to uplift the code of conduct of the  profession and its ethics.

“We have the code of professional conduct and ethics to guide all our undertakings as architects. Unfortunately, we are where we are today due to lawlessness that has pervaded the land.

Foreigners don’t come and take the job all by themselves. They hide behind those who front for them”, Aliyu stated.

He charged the new architects to do the right thing always, and memorise the code to avoid temptation.

On his part, Arc. Umoru Karaye, who spoke on ‘Condition of Engagement, Charges and Agreement by Professional Architects”, urged the architects to familiarise themselves with the document, which he said was developed for the protection of architecture in Nigeria.

He furthered urged them to be good ambassadors of the profession, adding that, those ahead of them in the profession would be available to assist them where and when possible.

In his comment, Arc. Umar Murnai, Registrar, ARCON, who hinted that the regulatory body had come up with Architects Projects Registration Number APRN, to prevent incursion into their profession, tasked the newly inducted architects to champion the initiative.

According to him, without APRN, you, as an architect, can not make any submission in Abuja, adding that the Council had made the process of getting the number seamless.

In all, about 450 individuals and firms were inducted.