The Nigeria Institute of Architects –NIA, Anambra State chapter, on Friday had its annual conference in Awka, the state capital. The conference held at the Oba Nwandu Resource Center in the Department of Architecture in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, was well attended by architects and engineers in the building and construction industry across Anambra State, as well as students. The conference which was supported and sponsored by Etex Group, owners of Kalsie Ceil ceilings and Emenite based in Enugu, provided an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and networking among building professionals.
This year’s conference has as its theme; “Towards a Sustainable Built Environment”, which all the guest lecturers relied upon to deliver their lectures. The guest lecturer Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma, Anambra State Commissioner for Works, spoke extensively on how to build with sustainability in focus. According to Engr. Okoma, the essence of the conference is to think about what will happen in Anambra State in the near future. “We have about 8 million people living in Anambra State today. This number will increase in the future. However, you can increase many other things, but you can’t increase land”, Okoma said. This, the speaker explained therefore calls for prudence in the way and manner land is used in the state by builders.
Engr. Okoma who also spoke on waste management and environment, reiterated that waste management is a major challenge especially because of the hazards caused by none non-degradable wastes. This, he said, therefore places a demand on builders to think through projects comprehensively before embarking on it to avoid creating a problem while solving another. Speaking on the environment, Mr. Okoma remarked that Anambra State is under a severe threat of erosion. According to the commissioner, “Anambra State is the erosion capital of Africa. There are over one thousand active erosion sites in Anambra State.” The main cause of erosions in Anambra State Okoma said, is badly terminated drainages. “Most of the erosion in Anambra is caused by poorly terminated drainages,” he said.
Another top environmental challenge Anambra State faces is flooding, according to Engr. Ifeanyi Okoma. This is to the extent that “nine out of the twenty-one local government areas in Anambra State are susceptible to flood.” He therefore charged builders to be mindful of sustainability by adhering to the following four pillars of sustainable engineering; concept design, viability, socially equitable, and finally, post occupancy.
Ebuka graduated with a second-class upper-division degree in Political Science from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master's Degree in Political Science with a specialization in Government and Development Studies from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. His academic background and professional experience have equipped him with a deep understanding of political dynamics and governance issues.
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