Architecture In Nigeria: All You Need To Know

Architecture In Nigeria: All You Need To Know
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In this article, I will reveal all you need to know about Nigeria’s architecture, salary, studies, career, and job description. You will also see how lucrative Architecture is in Nigeria and Modern Architecture in Nigeria.

Architecture In Nigeria – Salary, Career, Education

I’ve been able to sit with many professional architects and talk to them about their field of work now. Architecture usually is limited to a professional field that deals with withdrawing and making structural plans, but it’s not so.

Who is an Architect?

An architect is a person who designs, plans, reviews or manages the construction of buildings and other structures. Architects plan and design houses, buildings, and other structures.

An Architect is responsible for designing places people live, work, or visit. They work on public and private projects making plans and designs for a building’s indoor and outdoor environment, from a single room to an estate layout.

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What is Architecture?

Architecture is an essential feature of every historical civilization. Architecture is simply the art and science of designing buildings and other structures. It is the process and product of designing, planning, and constructing buildings or other physical structures.

What Does An Architect Do in a Site?

The duties of an Architect are not just limited to making a site design and layout. An architect also has many functions on and off the site. Some of them include:

  1. Prepare a Site’s Layout and plans

This is the primary duty of an architect. An architect is responsible for designing plans, drawings, and documents using computer software or illustrated on sheets of paper. These plans are the foundation of every work carried out on the site.

  1. Prepare Structure Specialization

An Architect also determines objectives and requirements for structures. They prepare the structure’s specifications, objectives, features, requirements, and cost of a project with clients. This makes every construction stand out from the rest.

  1. Plan presentations and Explanation

Not everyone can understand the details an architect gives, and an architect also must explain his design to the clients and engineers. This presentation includes construction duration, estimates of the cost, key features and facilities, and of course, contract documentation.

  1. Supervise and Manage ongoing construction

An architect must also paper on-site and ensure that all ongoing construction adheres to his architectural plans and is ideally in place as designed.

Thereby supervising the ongoing construction, recording and correcting observed defects & errors in the work, recording & monitoring progress, coordinating the work, keeping the work documentation, and managing the ongoing construction.

  1. Study the Environment of the Site

Before an architect puts up a plan, he heads to the site before construction to study the temperature, topography, climate, weather, history, and other factors to determine how these factors will influence or affect his plans or the construction.

  1. Consulting Clients

This is another important duty of an architect, the consult clients on particular matters and give a recommendation.

How much do architects earn in Nigeria?

So, How much is an architect’s salary in Nigeria? This is one of the most profitable courses in Nigeria. According to Payscale, the median annual wage for a design architect is NGN 1,000,000 per year. This amounts to a salary of about ₦100,000 monthly.

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How lucrative is architecture in Nigeria? An architect can earn up to ₦500,000 per service. And the employment rate is as high as 73% in Nigeria. Architects are also paid work benefits, bonuses, profit sharing, and compensations.

Who hires an architect?

An architect can work for anyone anywhere. They work on both public and private projects. The government is an architect’s biggest client. Most architect ends up setting up a firm, becoming self-employed, or furthering their education.

There is no end to the joy in this line of work. They spend most of their time in the office, meeting their clients, engineers, and other architects and making reports, plans, analyses, and drawings. They also visit the site to check the progress. You’re simply a self-boss.

Why You Should Be An Architect In Nigeria?

Being an architect is one of the most effortless and excellent jobs worldwide. It is often argued that there are hardly any new jobs for architects. Developed and developing countries have their fair share of design and ongoing construction.

Plus, we live in a world that develops at a fast pace. There are bound to be more artistic designs than Sheraton Hotel China, the Taj Mahal, Potala Palace, Emam Mosque, Eiffel Tower, Sydney Op, etc. Even fictional movies based on futurist Earth show a high level of architectural work.

Jobs’ demand for architects is projected to skyrocket, especially those who deal with renewable energy, green design, water conservation, waste & pollutant reduction, environmentally friendly designs, cost and space efficiency, and sustainable design.

Even in developing countries like Nigeria, there are increasing projects involving the design and construction of buildings, especially heavy structures, and other complicated designs, and there is bound to be significant competition among architects in Nigeria.

This course is no lost cause and has a high employment rate, job opportunities (up to 73%), and stable income potential. These are some of the reasons why you should be an architect in Nigeria

Job Opportunities for Architects

There are so many job opportunities for an architect. Some of them include:
1. Architect
2. Surveyor (Building Surveyor, Commercial surveyor, residential surveyor, Planning and development surveyor, etc.)
3. Architectural Technologist
4. Interior designer
5. Urban Designer & Planner
6. Higher education lecturer
7. Asset manager
8. Construction manager
9. Estates manager
10. Production designer
11. Theatre Designer (Television/film)
12. Project manager
13. Property developer
14. Housing Consultant
This job gives you access to industrial design, road and civil construction, and jobs in other housing corporations.

How to become an architect

There are two significant ways to become an architect

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  1. Education

This is the most common way to become a professional architect after you’ve finished a 4 or 5-year Bachelor of Architecture degree program in a higher institution. This procedure is compulsory in most countries i.e., Nigeria.
Then head to the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and register themselves for professional certification to practice and licenses.

  1. Training

This is another way to become an architect. It involves acquiring experience through paid training, internship, and writing exams. This training is open to graduates and other interested people.

Admission requirements for architecture in Nigeria

To acquire a Bachelor of Architecture (B . Arch .) degree. He/she must:

  1. Have five credit passes at his/her O-Level exams or its equivalent, including Mathematics, English Language, Physics, and any other two subjects, and also obtain an acceptable score in the UMTE (which is usually between 220 – 250). Or fulfill the requirement for Direct Entry to his/her choice institution, a National Diploma (N.D) certificate may be considered for special admission 200-level.
  2. Complete a four or five-year program to get a B.Arch at the end of your program

NOTE: In UTME, The English Language is Compulsory for Architecture. Other UTME subject combinations to study Architecture under the Faculty of Environment Sciences include Mathematics and two other science subjects, i.e., Chemistry, Physics, Geography, Biology, or Technical Drawing, which should be selected with registering for UTME exams to satisfy the academic requirement needed to study architecture.

Some of the best universities to study Architecture in Nigeria include:

  • Abia State University
    • Covenant University
    • The Federal University of Technology Akure
    • Federal University of Technology Minna
    • The Federal University of Technology, Owerri
    • Kaduna State University
    • Kano University of Science and Technology
    • Ladoke Akintola University of Technology
    • Nnamdi Azikiwe University
    • Obafemi Awolowo University
    • Olabisi Onabanjo University
    • University of Ilorin
    • The University of Jos
    • University of Lagos
    University of Nigeria and
    • The University of Uyo

What Special Skills Architects Need?

An architect needs a lot of unique skills to convey their words in 2D and 3D drawings. Aside from that, some of the skills an architect must have include:

  1. Visualization skills.
  2.  An empirical & logical approach.
  3.  Analytical skills.
  4.  Ability to communicate effectively, both written and orally
  5.  Research skills
  6.  I.T and other technical skills
  7.  The ability to comprehend the diverse environment
  8.  Organizational skills
  9. Project managerial skills
  10. Decision-making skill
  11. Site management skill
  12. Background knowledge and skills in history, cultural, and environmental concern

Conclusion

Delving into architecture in Nigeria offers a comprehensive understanding of the profession’s intricacies, from educational paths and regulatory frameworks to the dynamic landscape of design and construction. Whether aspiring to be an architect or seeking architectural services, this exploration provides valuable insights into the vibrant and evolving architectural scene in Nigeria.

Did I miss anything, or would you like to share some insight? Feel free to do so in the comment section below. Don’t forget to share.

6 thoughts on “Architecture In Nigeria: All You Need To Know”

  1. IntellectArchitects

    such a nice post from you guys, i like the flow, you touch the, Salary, Career, Education aspects which will be really helpful to many, and bravo for not forgeting to add ‘who hires them.’

    You flash a real light to architecture in Nigeria, and you deserve a credit for that.

  2. MY ‘BOSS’ YOU’RE A JUNIORS, THANKS’ FOR THE KNOWLEDGE.

    …#the architects gives birth to ideas!
    ….#much better days ahead!
    …#much more ahead!

  3. Really love this
    You really pushed me going further into my world dream career
    Getting the best information about choosing the best university
    Thanks

  4. Thanks for the post
    It’s really gonna be of great benefits to intending and Young architects out their

    Keep up the good work!!!

    1. AobClassic

      Well said bro …. you have done a great work….. it’s a beautiful presentation for me. Thanks

  5. Muhammad Dunoma

    How is ABU, Zaria, the first school of Architecture in Nigeria not among the best universities to study Architecture?. your article is good but there is a bigger picture that has not been covered

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