The First Vice President of Nigerian Institute of Architects NIA and the Chairman of Archibuilt, Arc Mobolaji Adeniyi has urged the Government to patronize more of Nigerian Architects and local building materials.
Adeniyi made this call at the Archibuilt exposition in Abuja on Wednesday, she said though, govt is patronizing Nigerian Architects and local building materials but still urged them to do more.
According to her, “If govt is putting so much in training professionals; it should be using its professionals. We looking forward to competitions where major and iconic buildings will be thrown open to the Nigerian architects to show our expertise.
“So we don’t always have to bring in foreign architects. Particularly buildings that have sensitive security issues; we make sure that it’s our own professionals that are designing them”, she added.
The Vice Chancellor, Bingham University Karu Abuja, Professor Williams Barnabas Qurix while giving solution to housing deficit in Nigeria, appealed to Architects to build affordable housing for the masses.
The Professor who said most of the built houses are unaffordable, very expensive for the masses, also urged Architects to design houses that are suitable for use and balance them with cost parameters.
“We must evolve models that allow us to design to specifics while allowing individual flexibility and as an institute, we are looking in that aspect”, the Professor said.
President of Nigerian Institute of Architects, Arc Eyin Ben-Eboh said that the exhibition called Archibuilt Exposition has been in existence for the past 30 years.
According to him, “it’s an annual exhibition when Architects get together manufacturers, suppliers, distributors of building materials into one space and the interaction with other stakeholders we are able to first and foremost get a background information on what is available.
“And of course new manufacturers and product come up while old ones fizzle away so we need to keep members of the Public, agencies with what is happening and it is also an opportunity for manufacturers to make new products available.
He further said the platform is also use to promote local manufacturers with the state of the economy while tending to encourage them with a lot of building components and keep them inform about housing stock and deficit.
“So it is an avenue for manufacturers to come up with local alternatives we used to have in the past and people are beginning to see a great improvement in some of the locally manufactured materials”, he said.