The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has urged the National Institute of Architects to champion the revival of Nigeria’s architectural heritage because it symbolizes the country’s greatness.
A press release signed by the Deputy Director, Press, in the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna said the Minister stated this in his office on Thursday, when the National Institute of Architects paid him a courtesy visit.
The minister spoke on the need for the Institute to pursue the preservation of National Monuments and landmarks in the country, noting that many Nigerians are not informed about the iconic and historic buildings around them.
He said: “Did you know that the office that is now the headquarters of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Abuja used to be the office of the late President Shehu Shagari? Even the Conference Room of the NOA was once the Council Chambers where ministers held their Federal Executive Council Meetings. If you visit the NOA today, you can still see the same chair and desk used by late President Shagari when he was in office.”
The minister called on the NIA to sustain its engagement and partnership with the ministry in re-orientating the people towards our rich heritage.
He also noted that the people are the most significant cultural asset any nation can boast of, and if they do not have the right attitude and orientation that defines them as a people, all other efforts will be in vain.
Idris decried the attitude and culture where people disrespect national monuments, icons, and symbols that define us as a country, such as the National Flag, the Coat of Arms, the national passport, and others.
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu desired to change the narrative, so he prioritized National Orientation in the Ministry’s new mandate.
The National President of Nigerian Institute of Architects, Arch. Mobolaji Adeniyi, expressed the institution’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to provide enlightenment and awareness campaign on the menace of building collapse, substandard building materials, quackery, and disregard for architectural excellence, as well as provide expertise in building and preservation of Iconic buildings in the country and Federal Capital Territory in particular.
She noted that in the 64 years of the existence of the institution, it has, directly and indirectly, through its members, consistently played and continued to play a vital role in the life of the nation through the attainment of its architectural objectives.
