Rethink your profession to give it international perspective, Agbakoba charges architects

Olisa Agbakoba, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has charged architects in Nigeria to rethink the architecture profession in order to give it international perspective.

Agbakoba who was the guest speaker at  the just concluded annual Lagos Architects Forum (LAF) organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) in Lagos, told the architects to go beyond designing and building bungalows and duplexes to  building monuments.

“Stop lamenting and take your pride of place in the building industry; stop calling yourselves architects and see yourselves as housing solution providers because that is what you are. You must give your profession international perspective and, to do that, you must rethink the profession”, he advised.

The legal legal luminary  noted that  none of the 41 world architects is a Nigeria, nor is any of the 25 world great  and famous buildings including  Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, La Pedrera in Bacelona, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Taj Mahal, India, Space Needle, Seatle, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, etc in Nigeria.

  “You people should lead in building not just houses, but also bridges and cities; contribute to nation building and, to achieve this, you should tell the government that you have got the resources; task the government to appoint a Public Architect who should give you voice in government”, he said.

The Lagos Architects Forum, already in its eighth edition, generally aims to provide opportunities for participants to meet with various stakeholders in the building and construction industry; establish bilateral ties with companies; showcase their products and services; learn about best practices and update skills in current trends in design, development and construction; understand the current economic climate; discover innovative methods of development, and understand critical issues affecting viable developments.

Ladipo Lewis, the chapter chairman, in his welcome address at the forum, explained that  the theme of this year edition,  Lagos 7.0: Evolving Architecture, called to light the desire to create and develop an architecture that would make Lagos a first world city, adding that a continuous evaluation of their practice methods, technology, current legislation on planning, approval process, master plans, and regulation were necessary to achieve that status.

He said that the event would offer opportunities to evaluate best practices, concepts, procedures and methodology required to evolve architecture that would transform Lagos into the greatest city in the world, hoping that “the architecture we evolve would lead to the creation of exceptional buildings, high quality structures, sustainable living environments, affordable homes, and employment opportunities for all in Lagos as a city”.

Tonye Oliver Braide, the national president of NIA, affirmed the need to evolve architecture, stressing that the institute has to re-engineer its approach to the practice of architecture in line with the new wave of change sweeping across the world.

“There are changes everywhere from the conception of urban space to the treatment of interior details. There are new technologies which improve environmental comfort and conserve energy. There are materials which greatly improve the cost in use with very low maintenance indices”, he noted.