In order to improve the quality of buildings and make houses more accessible to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello has called for multi-disciplinary meeting of all professionals involved in the building industry.
The Minister made this call while receiving a delegation from the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) led by its President, Arc. Umaru Aliyu that paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Thursday.
The Minister reiterated that this call has become necessary to enable professionals in the industry to brainstorm and to ensure that sanity is brought to the sub-sector, thereby providing more housing delivery to the populace.
Bello noted that the industry is a robust sub sector that has the capacity to provide ready employment to the teeming populace in the FCT, because of the diverse professionals and unskilled labourers involved from the conception to the completion stage.
He expressed delight to meet professional bodies like ARCON that have contributed immensely to the development of the Federal Capital Territory; recalling that recently, he had similar meeting with the
Town Planners Association Nigeria.
According to him, the Architects, Engineers, Town Planners, Surveyors and Builders should all come together to find a better way to fast track the entire process from the drawings, building plan approvals,
setting out and the entire building construction process in the Territory.
The Minister decried a situation where houses are built in estates without giving enough space for greening, planting of trees and at least a garden at the backyard as well as space for children play
area.
Bello assured that the FCT Administration on its part would make the process transparent and friendly to all players in the industry.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria, Arc. Umaru Aliyu congratulated the Minister over his appointment.
The President said that ARCON is assiduously working to eliminate quacks, which he noted have contributed in no small measure to the cases of collapsed buildings across the country.
He however stated that no registered Architect has ever been involved in any case of collapsed building.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, the Executive Secretary of FCDA, Adamu Ismaila and some senior officials of the FCT Administration joined the Minister to receive the Architects.
