Dangiwa inaugurates ARCON council, emphasizes accountability and transparency

Minister of housing and urban development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has charged the members of newly inaugurated Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to promote accountability and transparency in order to enhance good governance in the built environment.

Dangiwa, who gave the charge on Friday while inaugurating the 14th Council of ARCON in Abuja, also said the Council members should be alive to the expectations of the architectural profession as well as the trust reposed in them by being ready to contribute meaningfully towards policies that will promote and enshrine standards and quality in the housing sector.

The minister also urged the members to ensure that there is peace in the house of Architecture in Nigeria and reiterated that without a peaceful environment, there can never be meaningful progress. He emphasised that as revered profession, Nigerian architects must demonstrate unity and be organised.

While appealing to all stakeholders and interest groups within the architectural profession to recognise that ARCON is the only statutory body established to regulate the profession in Nigeria, by virtue of the provisions of the Architects Registration Act, 2004, he further stressed that the Act being a statute created by the National Assembly needed immediate review by way of amendment.

“As you get ready to start work, I also want to draw your attention to the fact that the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria Act 2004 being a statute created by the National Assembly needs immediate and urgent review and update by way of amendment. The Act needs a surgical review to align its mandate with the realities of today and beyond. The Ministry under my watch would encourage this Council to urgently begin work on this amendment. We should aim to remove all areas of ambiguities.

“I must also not fail to draw the attention of this Council to the incessant incidences of building collapse in our country. The recurring phenomenon has led to loss of lives, and waste of resources and brought shame to the profession and the housing sector,” he said.

In his response, the Registrar of the newly constituted ARCON, Arc. Umar Saulawa, while calling for the support of all professional architects, also urged the members of ARCON to ensure that they bring positive contribution to the profession.

“We have a lot of work to do. We have lost a lot of grounds as ARCON. We have to shun our pride and differences for the growth of our profession in Nigeria,” Saulawa stated.