Architects determined to build living, regenerating Lagos

The Nigerian Institute of Architects, Lagos State Chapter (NIALSC), the umbrella body for the regulation of professional practice in architecture in Nigeria, recently reiterated its commitment to building a regenerating Lagos at a pre-event press conference to announce the Lagos Architects Forum (LAF) 2017.

LAF is a flagship programme of NIALSC designed to promote the activities of the chapter. The theme for the LAF 2017 summit is ‘An Architectural Autopoiesis’, that is, the ability of architecture to recreate itself.

Speaking at the press conference, Fitzgerald Umah, chairman NIALSC, said “LAF 2017 is designed to devise new ways of running practices, stakeholder engagement and adaptation to local economies”.

According to him, sessions at the summit will highlight contemporary issues such as regeneration of architectural designs and practices in view of the current economic recession.

 “LAF 2017 will address the matrix of relevance, value and positioning for architecture, urban regeneration and new opportunities, global outlook of recession and the business of building, issues surrounding incessant building collapse and new directions for building materials technology, urban regeneration and rethinking”, the chairman disclosed.

Ibitola Okuboyejo, chairman, Education Committee, added, “the summit is specially targeted at renewing the processes and systems in which the built environment endeavours are conducted in the light of present-day realities”.

Abimbola Ajayi, Honorary General Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Architects, in her remarks said the summit would talk about a ‘living Lagos’ with themes and subthemes centred around regenerating the city.  “If we do not regenerate, the only option left is to die; to keep Lagos going, it must recreate itself”, she said.

Keynote speakers for the summit include Bishop Matthew Kukah, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Theo Lawson, Kunle Adeyemi, amongst others.

Expected at the event  are architects and allied professionals in the building and construction industry, policy makers in government agencies and parastatals, financial and mortgage institutions, venture capitalists and equity investors, real estate developers and the general public.