- “We are eager to have the faculty as soon as possible, as this would further enhance both the university and the profession at large,”
The Architects’ Registration Council of Nigeria has asked the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, to reposition and boost the study of architecture.
ARCON President, Oladipo Ajayi, who led council members to the university, said it had been observed that the profession of architecture was in need of urgent intervention.
Ajayi asked that the university authority should do everything possible to ensure quick upgrade of the department of architecture of the institution into faculty status.
“We are eager to have the faculty as soon as possible, as this would further enhance both the university and the profession at large,” he said.
According to Ajayi, ARCON among other things was established to raise the educational standard, the practice as well as registering and deregistering.
He urged the Vice-Chancellor, OAU, Prof Eyitayo Ogunbodede, to look into the issue of shortfall of lecturers in the department, adding that there was also the need for OAU to adopt Architects Projects Registrations Number, which would help to monitor all building projects, thereby preventing building collapse in the country.
He said the university should look into the issue of jury, which he noted had been misunderstood by many, and urged the VC to facilitate the process of ensuring the initiative.
Ogunbodede, in his response, pledged support for the ARCON council.
He said the issue of upgrading the departure of architecture to a faculty was dependent on the regulatory body, the lecturers within the department and the National Universities Commission.
The VC tasked ARCON to assist as the university was already in the process of doing a total overhaul of its curricular.
He also charged ARCON to help the university in the development of entrepreneurial studies.
The Dean, Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, Prof Olubola Babalola, also said she would look into all issues raised by ARCON.
Babalola, who is the first female professor of quantity surveying in Africa, expressed satisfaction over the proposal to raise department of architecture in OAU to faculty status.
Meanwhile, ARCON has concluded all arrangements to induct over 400 newly registered architects on Monday.
