ARCHITECTS (REGISTRATION, ETC.) ACT(AS AMENDED)

Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person shall not prepare or take full responsibility for the erection or commissioning of architectural building plans or practise or carry on business (other than that having relevance to ship construction, or to landscape or golf links) under any name, style, or title containing the word "architect" unless he is a Nigerian citizen and registered under this Act.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 There shall be established, a body to be known as the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (in this Act referred to as "the Council") which shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid and shall be charged with the general duty of-
a determining what standards of knowledge and skill are to be attained by persons seeking to become members of the architectural profession (in this Act referred to as "the profession") and raising those standards from time to time as circumstances may permit;
b securing in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the establishment and maintenance of a register of persons entitled to practise the profession and the publication from time to time of lists of those persons;
c performing the other functions conferred on the Council by this Act.
2 Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Council shall consist of the following-
a four persons, one of whom shall be a member of staff of the Ministry to represent the various interests in the field of architecture who shall be appointed by the Minister;
b one person to represent each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja who shall be appointed by the Minister on the nomination of the Governor of the State and the Minister of the Federal capital Territory, respectively;
c four persons, who shall represent the universities having accredited faculties of architecture on a rotational basis, so however that, no university shall have more than one representative at a time;
d
four persons, who shall be appointed by the Nigerian Institute of Architects (in this Act referred to as "the Institute") in the manner for the time being provided by the constitution of the Institute:
Provided that, a person shall not be appointed as a member of the Council unless he is fully registered as an architect under this Act and at the date of his appointment he has been engaged in architectural practice for a period of not less than ten years.
[1990 No. 43. S.1. 5 of 2001.]
3
The provisions of the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the qualification and tenure of office of members of the Council, powers and procedure of the Council and the other matters there mentioned.
[First Schedule.]
4
The Minister may, make regulations for increasing or reducing the membership of the Council as and when the Minister may consider it expedient.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 The Council shall prepare and submit to the Minister not later than the 31st day of December of the year in which this subsection comes into force (so however for that year the Minister may, if he considers it necessary, extend the period) and of each subsequent year, an estimate of its expenditure and income during the next succeeding financial year.

2 The Council shall keep proper records in respect of each financial year, and proper records in relation to those accounts, and shall cause its accounts to be audited as soon as may be after the end of the financial year to which the accounts relate by a firm of auditors approved, as respects that year by the Minister for Finance.

1
The Minister may, give to the Council directions of a general character or relating generally to particular matters (but not to any individual person or case) with regard to the exercise by the Council of its functions and it shall be the duty of the Council to comply with the directions.
2
Before giving a direction under the foregoing subsection, the Minister shall serve a copy of the proposed direction on the Council and shall afford the Council an opportunity of making representations to him with respect to thedirection; and after considering any representations made to him in pursuance of this subsection, the Minister may give the direction either without modification, or with such modifications as appear to him to be appropriate having regard to the representations.

1
It shall be the duty of the Council to appoint as the Registrar for the purposes of this Act, a fit and proper person having not less than ten years' experience as a fully registered Architect.
[1990 No. 43.]
2 It shall be the duty of the Registrar to prepare and maintain in accordance with rules made by the Council under this section-
a registers of the names, addresses and approved qualifications and such other particulars as may be specified, of all persons who are entitled in accordance with the provisions of this Act to be registered as architects and who apply in the specified manner to be so registered;
b
a register with particulars of architectural firms eligible to practise under the provisions of this Act.
[1990 No. 43.]
3 The register of architects (in this Act referred to as "the register") shall consist of two parts of which one shall be in respect of fully registered persons entitled to practise as principals and the other in respect of provisionally registered persons.
4 Subject to the following provisions of this section, the Council shall make rules with respect to form and keeping of the registers and the making of entries therein, and in particular-
a regulating the making of applications for registration and providing for the evidence to be produced in support of applications;
b providing for the notification to the Registrar, by the person to whom any registered particulars relate, of any change in those particulars;
c authorising a registered person to have any qualification which is registered in relation to his name in addition to or, as he may elect, in substitution for any other qualifications so registered;
d specifying the fees to be paid to the Council in respect of the entry of names on the registers and authorising the Registrar to refuse to enter a name on a register until any fee specified for the entry has been paid;
e specifying anything falling to be specified under the foregoing provisions of this section,
but rules made for the purposes of paragraph (d) of this subsection shall not come into force until they are confirmed by order of the Minister.
5 It shall be the duty of the Registrar-
a to correct, in accordance with the Council's directions, any entry in a register which the Council directs him to correct as being in the Council's opinion an entry which was incorrectly made;
b to make from time to time any necessary alterations to the registered particulars of registered persons;
c to remove from the part of the register of architects which relates to provisionally registered persons, all particulars relating to a person registered in the other part of that register; and
d to remove from the relevant part of the register the name of any registered person who has died, or as the case may be, has ceased to be entitled to be provisionally registered.
6 If the Registrar-
a sends by post to any registered person, a registered letter addressed to him at his address on the register, enquiring whether the registered particulars relating to him are correct and receives no reply to the letter within the period of six months from the date of posting it; and
b upon the expiration of that period, sends in like manner to the person in question a second similar letter and receives no reply to that letter within three months from the date of posting it,
the Registrar may, remove the particulars relating to the person in question from the relevant part of the register; and the Council may direct the Registrar to restore to the appropriate part of the register any particulars removed therefrom under this subsection.

1 It shall be the duty of the Registrar-
a
to cause a list of persons whose names and qualifications are indicated in the register to be printed, published, and put on sale to members of the public not later than two years from the beginning of the year in which this subsection comes into force;
b in each year after that in which a register is first published under paragraph (a) of this subsection, to cause to be printed, published and put on sale as aforesaid either a corrected edition of the register or a list of alterations made to the register since it was last printed; and
c to cause a print of each edition of the register and of each list of corrections to be deposited at the principal offices of the Council,
and it shall be the duty of the Council to keep the register and lists so deposited open at all reasonable times for inspection by members of the public.
2 In addition, the Registrar shall cause to be published a list of persons qualified as architects but not entitled to practise as principals.
3
A document purporting to be a print of an edition of a register published under this section by the authority of the Registrar in the current year, or documents purporting to be print of an edition of a register so published in a previous year and of a list of corrections to that edition so published in the current year, shall (without prejudice to any other mode of proof) be admissible in any proceedings as evidence that any person specified in the document, or the documents read together, is exempted or as the case may be, as being fully or provisionally registered, and that any person not so specified is not so exempted or registered.

1 Subject to the provisions of this Act and to rules made under section 5 of this Act, a person shall not be entitled to be fully or provisionally registered under this Act as an architect and, when so registered, to practise as such unless-
a he has attended a course of training approved by the Council under section 9 of this Act; and
b the course was conducted at an institution so approved, or partly at one such institution and partly at another or others; and
c he holds a qualification so approved.
2
Registration in the first instance shall be provisional, unless the Council in its discretion authorises full registration of an applicant.
[1990 No. 43.]
3
The provisions of the Third Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the professional responsibility of provisionally registered architects under this Act.
[Third Schedule.]
4 Subject as aforesaid, if in the case of an applicant under section 8 (2) or (3) of this Act, he satisfies the Council on all matters on which the Council requires to be satisfied that he is a fit and proper person, the applicant may likewise be provisionally or fully registered in pursuance of subsection (2) above.
5
Subject as aforesaid, a person shall be entitled to be fully registered, if being a citizen of Nigeria or a person within section 8 (2) or (3) of this Act, he satisfies the Council-
[1990 No. 43.]
a as to his experience for the purposes of section 11(1) of this Act;
b that he is of good character;
c
that he has passed the professional practice competence examination conducted by the Institute;
[1990 No. 43.]
d that his qualifications as an architect are for the time being accepted by the Council for the purposes of this subsection as respects the profession of an architect;
and save where section 8 (3) of this Act applies-
e
that where a qualification was acquired outside Nigeria, the applicant for registration under this Act was under no legal disability in the practice of architecture, and if the Council so requires, that he has sufficient practical experience in the profession of an architect,
and the Council shall from time to time publish in the Federal *Gazette*, particulars of the qualifications for the time being accepted as aforesaid.
6 A fully registered architect shall be entitled to a stamp from the Council, but any stamp presented in pursuance of this subsection may be withdrawn by the Council from such a member on-
a his ceasing to become a registered member;
b being convicted of an offence under this Act;
c
disciplinary grounds.
[1990 No. 43.]
7
The Council may, with the approval of the Minister, impose further conditions for purposes of any registration under this Act, but such conditions shall not come into force until published in the *Gazette*.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 Where at the date of commencement of this Act, a Nigerian citizen holds in Government service (Federal or State) any office carrying with it the designation of "architect" by virtue of which he has control and management of the architectural work of Government as aforesaid, and under his control for the purposes of that work, there is at least one person qualified for registration under this Act as an architect, he may, on application in writing to the Council at any time within six months after its commencement, and on satisfying the Council that-
a at the date of his application he was a member of any appropriate institution recognised by the Council;
b at that date he had under his control for the purposes of his work, at least one person entitled to registration or duly registered under this Act as an architect; and
c
he thereafter pays the prescribed fees,
be entitled to provisional registration and to the use of the word "architect" as descriptive of his occupation so long only as he continues to be employed in the public service of the Federation or of a State:
Provided that, such an architect shall not be promoted beyond the rank of a senior architect until his full registration.
[1990 No. 43.]
2 Subject to the next succeeding subsection, where the Council is satisfied that reciprocal arrangements are in existence between Nigeria and any other country whereby citizens or nationals of that country and those of Nigeria are entitled to practise in that other country as architects on the same or nearly similar terms and conditions, a national or citizen of that other country shall, if resident in Nigeria for not less than five years preceding the date of his application for registration, and on due compliance with any other requirements of the Council, be entitled to be registered as an architect under this Act.
3 Where any person not being a citizen of Nigeria would, but for this subsection, be required to satisfy the Council as to reciprocal arrangements made and as to his residential qualification and that person is; on or after the commencement of this section, employed in Nigeria as an architect-
a under any foreign technical assistance or foreign technical aid programme; or
b
under a contract of service with the Federal Government or Government of any State of the Federation,
the Council shall, after receipt by it of an application for registration duly made by any person so employed, and upon payment of the prescribed fee and due verification of his qualification but without requiring the person to satisfy the Council as to any such reciprocal arrangements and residential qualification, direct his provisional registration for six months.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 Subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Council may approve for the purposes of section 7 of this Act-
a any course of training which is intended for persons who are seeking to become, or are already qualified as, architects;
b any institution, either in Nigeria or elsewhere, which the Council considers is properly organised and equipped for conducting the whole or any part of a course of training approved by the Council under this section;
c any qualification which, as a result of examination taken in conjunction with a course of training approved by the Council under this section, is granted to candidates reaching a standard at the examination indicating, in the opinion of the Council, that they have sufficient knowledge and skill to practise architecture as a profession, otherwise than as a principal.
2 The Council shall from time to time publish in the Federal Gazette, a list of qualifications in the profession of architecture approved by it, and subject thereto, the Council shall not approve for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, a qualification granted by an Institution in Nigeria unless the qualification has been so published by the Council.
3
The Council may, upon the recommendation of the Institute, withdraw any approval given under this section in respect of any course, qualification or institution; but before with drawing such an approval the Council shall-
[1990 No. 43.]
a give notice that it proposes to do so to each person in Nigeria appearing to the Council to be a person by whom the course is conducted or the qualification is granted or the institution is controlled, as the case may be; and
b afford each such person an opportunity of making to the Council representations with regard to the proposal; and
c take into consideration any representations made as respects the proposal in pursuance of the last foregoing paragraph.
4
As respects any period during which the approval of the Council under this section for a course, qualification or institution is withdrawn, the course, qualification or institution shall not be treated as approved under this section; but the withdrawal of such an approval shall not prejudice the registration or eligibility for registration of any person who by virtue of the approval was registered or eligible for registration (either unconditionally or subject to his obtaining a certificate of professional competence) immediately before the approval was withdrawn.
[1990 No. 43.]
5 The giving or withdrawal of an approval under this section shall have effect from such date, either before or after the execution of the instrument signifying the giving or withdrawal of the approval, as the Council may specify in that instrument; and the Council shall-
a as soon as may be possible, publish a copy of every such instrument in the Federal Gazette; and
b not later than seven days before its publication as aforesaid, send a copy of the instrument to the Minister.

1 It shall be the duty of the Council to keep itself informed of the nature of-
a the instruction given at approved institutions to persons attending approved courses of training; and
b
the examinations as a result of which approved qualifications are granted,
and for the purposes of performing that duty, the Council may appoint, either from among its own members or otherwise, persons to visit approved institutions or to attend such examinations.
[1990 No. 43.]
2 It shall be the duty of the Institute under this subsection to report to the Council on-
a the adequacy of the instruction given to persons attending approved courses of training at institutions visited;
b the adequacy of the examination attended; and
c
any other matters relating to the institution or examination on which the Council may, either generally or in a particular case, request the Institute to report,
but the Institute shall not interfere with the giving of any instruction or the holding of any examination.
[1990 No. 43.]
3 On receiving a report made in pursuance of this section, the Council shall as soon as may be possible, send a copy of the report to the person appearing to the Council to be in charge of the institution or responsible for the examinations to which the report relates requesting that person to make observations on the report to the Council within such period as may be specified in the request, not being less than one month beginning with the date of the request.

1
Any person who, having qualified as an architect by examination after the commencement of this Act or within two years before its commencement as the case may be, satisfies the conditions mentioned in section 7 (5) (e) and subsection (2) of this section, may apply for and be entitled to receive free of charge, a certificate of professional competence from the Institute entitling him to be fully registered as an architect under this Act; and such certificates shall when received by the person provisionally registered, be filed with his application for full registration.
[1990 No. 43.]
2 The conditions aforesaid are-
a he shall, during his employment after qualification as aforesaid, have acquired practical experience under the personal supervision and guidance of one or more fully registered architect for the period of two years; and
b the manner in which he carried out the duties of his employment and his conduct during the period of his employment shall have been satisfactory.
3 It shall be the duty of the employer being a fully registered architect supervising the work of persons employed by him to-
a ensure that the person is afforded proper opportunities of acquiring the practical experience required for the purposes of paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section;
b
provide such person employed by him with the prescribed documents for presentation to the Council.
[1990 No. 43.]
4
Where after having completed the period mentioned in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section, any person affected applies for and is refused a certificate of professional competence, he shall be entitled-
[1990 No. 43.]
a to receive from the Council, particulars in writing of the grounds of the refusal; and
b to appeal from the refusal to the Minister, in accordance with rules made by the Council in that behalf (including rules as to the time within which appeals are to be brought),
and on any such appeal, the Minister may either allow the appeal or dismiss it, or direct that the case be referred back to the Council for re-consideration, and subject thereto, no further or other right of appeal shall lie.
5
Where an appeal is allowed under subsection (4) of this section, the Council shall forthwith issue the certificate of professional competence.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 There shall be a tribunal, to be known as the Architects Disciplinary Tribunal (in this Act referred to as "the Tribunal"), which shall be charged with the duty of considering and determining any case referred to it by the panel established by the following provisions of this section and any other case of which the Tribunal has cognisance under the following provisions of this Act.
2 The Tribunal shall consist of the President of the Council and eleven other members of the Council appointed by the Council and shall include not less than four members of the Council holding office by virtue of paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section 2 of this Act, or, where the number of those members is for the time being less than four, all those members.
3 There shall be a body to be known as the Architects Investigating Panel (in the Act referred to as "the Panel"), which shall be charged with the duty of-
a conducting a preliminary investigation into any case where it is alleged that a person fully or provisionally registered has misbehaved in his capacity as an architect, or should for any other reason be the subject of proceedings before the Tribunal; and
b deciding whether the case should be referred to the Tribunal.
4 The Panel shall be appointed by the Council and shall consist of seven members of the Council and two fully registered architects who are not members of the Council.
5
The provision of the Second Schedule to this Act shall, so far as applicable to the Tribunal and the Panel respectively, have effect with respect to those bodies.
[Second Schedule.]

1 Where-
a a person fully registered under this Act is convicted, by any court in Nigeria or elsewhere having power to award imprisonment, of an offence (whether or not an offence punishable with imprisonment) which in the opinion of the Tribunal is incompatible with the status of an architect; or
b a person provisionally registered under this Act, is likewise so convicted in circumstances such that the Council is satisfied that his name ought to be removed from the register; or
c
the Tribunal is satisfied that the name of any person has been fraudulently fully or provisionally registered,
the Tribunal may, if it thinks fit, give a direction reprimanding that person if fully registered or, whether or not fully registered, suspending that person from practice by ordering him not to engage in practice as an architect for such period not exceeding 24 months or ordering the Registrar to strike his name off the relevant part of the register.
[1990 No. 43.]
2 The Tribunal may, if it thinks fit, defer or further defer its decision as to the giving of a direction under subsection (1) of this section, until a subsequent meeting of the Tribunal; but
a no decision shall be deferred under this subsection for periods exceeding two years in the aggregate; and
b no person shall be a member of the Tribunal for the purposes of reaching a decision which has been deferred or further deferred, unless, he was present as a member of the Tribunal when the decision was deferred.
3 For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, a person shall not be treated as convicted as mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection, unless the conviction stands at a time when no appeal or further appeal is pending or may (without extension of time) be brought in connection with the conviction.
4 When the Tribunal gives a direction under subsection (1) of this section, the Tribunal shall cause notice of the direction to be served on the person to whom it relates.
5 The person to whom such a direction relates may, at any time within twenty-eight days from the date of service on him of the notice of the direction, appeal against the direction to the High Court ; and the Tribunal may appear as respondent to the appeal and, for the purpose of enabling directions to be given as to the costs of the appeal and of proceedings before the Tribunal, shall be deemed to be a party thereto whether or not it appears on the hearing of the appeal.
6 A direction of the Tribunal under subsection (1) of this section shall take effect-
a where no appeal under this section is brought against the directions within the time limit for the appeal, on the expiration of that time;
b where such an appeal is brought and is withdrawn or struck out for want of prosecution, on the withdrawal or striking out of the appeal;
c where such an appeal is brought and is not withdrawn or struck out as aforesaid, if and when the appeal is dismissed,
and shall not take effect, except in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this subsection.
7 A person whose name is removed from the register in pursuance of a direction of the Tribunal under this section shall not be entitled to be registered again except in pursuance of a direction in that behalf given by the Tribunal on the application of that person; and a direction under this section for the removal of a person's name from the register may prohibit an application under this subsection by that person until the expiration of such period from the date of the direction (and where he has duly made such an application, from the date of his last application) as may be specified in the direction.

1 Any person not being an architect or ceasing to be entitled to full registration under this Act, who-
a for, or in expectation of reward, practises or holds himself out to practise as such; or
b without reasonable excuse takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is authorised by law to practise as an architect,
shall be guilty of an offence.
2 Subject as aforesaid, any person on the provisional register who-
a
for, or in expectation of reward, practises or holds himself out as authorised to practise other than as permitted in the Third Schedule; or
[Third Schedule.]
b
without reasonable excuse takes or uses any name, title, addition or description implying that he is authorised by law to practise other than as is prescribed in the Third Schedule,
shall be guilty of an offence.
[1990 No. 43.]
3 If any person, for the purpose of procuring the registration of any name, qualification or other matter-
a makes a statement which he believes to be false in a material particular; or
b recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular,
he shall be guilty of an offence.
4 If the Registrar or any other person employed by the Council wilfully makes any falsification in any matter relating to the register, he shall be guilty of an offence.
5 A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable-
a
on conviction in the Federal High Court to a fine of N500,000.00 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment;
b
on conviction in a High Court, to a fine not exceeding N1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both.
[1990 No. 43.]
6 Where an offence under this section which has been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
7
Prosecution for an offence committed under this Act shall be conducted in the name of the Council by any of its authorised officers.
[1990 No. 43.]
8
Without prejudice to the other provisions of this Act, offences under this Act shall be triable in the Federal High Court.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 Unless otherwise authorised or exempted under this Act, a person shall not hold an appointment in the public service of the Federation or a State or in the armed forces of the Federation requiring status as an architect.
2 An architect under this Act shall, but to the extent only of his particular qualifications, be entitled to practise as an architect throughout the Federation.
3 It shall be the duty of the person in charge of each University having attached thereto a Faculty of Architecture in the Federation at which there is held a course of training intended for persons who are seeking to become architects under this Act, to furnish to the Registrar, not later than the thirty-first day of March in every year, a list of the names and of such other particulars as the Council may by order specify, of all persons who attended any such course at the institution in question at any time during the preceding year.
4 A provisionally registered architect other than one holding appointment in the public service of the Federation or of a State shall-
a not hold a professional responsibility for any domestic building project exceeding two floors in height;
b
undertake other projects not falling under paragraph (a) of this subsection, under the supervision of a fully registered architect.
[1990 No. 43.]

1 Any power to make regulations, rules or orders conferred by this Act shall include power to make-
a provisions for such incidental and supplementary matters as the authority making the instrument considers expedient for the purposes of the instrument; and
b different provisions for different circumstances.

1
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
"**approved"** means for the time being approved by the Council under section 9 of this Act;
"**approved architectural qualification**" means a qualification which is approved by the Council under this Act;
"**architect**" means any person professionally entitled to registration under this Act;
"**architecture**" means the art and science in theory and practice of design, erection, commissioning, maintenance and management and co-ordination of allied professional inputs thereto of buildings, or part thereof and the layout and master plan of such building or groups of buildings forming a comprehensive institution, establishment or neighbourhood as well as any other organised space, enclosed or opened, required for human and other activities;
[1990 No. 43.]
"**certificate of experience**" means a certificate granted in pursuance of section 11 of this Act;
"**Council**" means the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria established by section 2 (1) of the Act;
"**Minister**" means the Minister charged with responsibility for architecture;
[1990 No. 43.]
"**Panel**" has the meaning assigned to it by section 12 (3) of this Act;
"**prescribed**" means prescribed by regulations made under this Act;
"**register**" means the register maintained under this Act;
"**registered**" shall be construed accordingly;
"**Registrar**" means the Registrar appointed in pursuance of section 5 of this Act;
''**regulations**" means regulations made by the Minister;
"**Tribunal**" has the meaning assigned to it by section 12 (1) of this Act.
2 References in this Act to employment by a Government, include references to employment by any statutory corporation or State owned company.
3 For the purposes of this Act-
a a person is fully registered, if his name is for the time being entered in the part of the register maintained in respect of architects entitled to practise as principals; and
b
a person is provisionally registered, if his name is for the time being entered in the other part of that register,
and "**fully registered**" and "**provisionally registered**" shall be construed in accordance with paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection.
4
Any approval, consent, direction, notice, observation, report, representation or request authorised or required to be given or made by or under this Act shall be in writing and may, without prejudice to any other method of service but subject to the provisions of rules made under the Second Schedule to this Act, be served by post.
[Second Schedule.]

This Act may be cited as the Architects (Registration, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2019.