Architects flay 30-year life span for buildings

The Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA) has frowned at the low life span and quality of buildings across the country, which in most cases lasts between 20 to 30 years.

The new president of the institute, Sunny Echono who stated this at the weekend noted that a building that is designed and constructed with good materials should last for 100years. Echono lamented that Nigeria can’t keep replacing buildings every 30years, adding that the country has not been able to judiciously utilise its land resources.

He pledged that the institute would adjust to the changing needs of the younger generation by deploying technology for training of members. He promised to project the important role that Architects play in every society, galvanize and activate all resources within the economy and channel them properly towards national development.

He said: “Architect are the ones that provides the infrastructure like the hotel’s, hospitals, schools and offices which we work, any program aimed at sustainable development we will be at the cutting edge, we will lead that program because we are not talking about energy efficiency only, we are taking about local contents, use of local materials, sustainable materials.”

“We need to also mold and change the altitude of Nigerians because Nigerians like to defend spaces, they want to say this is my plot, this is my building but we are looking forward to promoting the ideal of multiple complexes like having blocks and flats for mass housing, so with the limited space we can accommodate more people because we have one of the population growth rate in the world currently in the region of 3.2 percent per annum.”

Credit: Guardian