Nigeria’s Former Vice President, Arch. Namadi Sambo has called on Architects in Nigeria to be at the forefront of developing home-grown products and solutions for housing & building projects across the Country
Sambo made the call during the Grand Inauguration of Arch. Sonny Echono as the 28th President of the Nigeria Institute of Architects NIA.
The Former Vice President also called for partnership between the Institute and local component manufacturing industries.
He said when the Institute drives and owns solutions; the success rate of their adoption will be higher.
Delivering his keynote speech, Sambo stressed that Nigeria must cultivate the habit of using its human capital, especially the trained professionals in every sector.
He charged the Institute to design buildings consistent with SDGs for Nigeria to create healthy and more sustainable communities and cities
According to Sambo, “massive investment in housing is a veritable tool for stimulating an economy and ensuring sustainable growth and development.”
Local Materials:
In her Goodwill message, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi Esan, tasked the Nigerian Institute of Architects to source for locally made materials to build houses that are affordable for civil servants in the country.
Dr Yemi Esan described the NIA President, Sonny Echono as one of the best civil servants in Nigeria while she called for the use of professionals in the building industry.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu described Echono who doubles as the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, as one of the best civil servants in Nigeria.
According to him, “Architect Echono has made my work as a Minister much lighter, not only that I have enjoyed his guidance in everything that comes before me that has proved to be a problem”
Strong Institutions:
In an agenda-setting speech, Pat Utomi said what Africans need is strong institutions and not strong men.
In his inaugural speech, the President of the Institute of Architects, Sonny Echono said the Institute will enforce in partnership with other agencies working with the Nigerian Society of Engineers, that building collapse in Nigeria become an issue of the past.
According to Echono, “we must reconnect with all our stakeholders, reform and rebrand our Enterprise, redefine and aggressively promote the role of the architects in the society, we will make sustained efforts to bring down the cost of construction in our country”.
“This we can do by minimizing country risks, promoting greater efficiency in project management and eliminating loopholes and avenues for corruption” he added.
Arch. Sonny Echono is the present Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education.
Source: VON
