Architecture Beyond Borders - Life Pre Covid - 19

In November 2019, the NIA Abuja Chapter played host to the duo of William Bates (2019 President of the American Institute of Architects AIA) and Sam Oboh,(2015 President of Royal Architectural Institute of Canada RAIC). An interesting incident transpired during the auspicious occasion of their visit.

On the third and final day of the duo’s visit, during a parley with stakeholders in the built environment industry at the AFP Showroom in Abuja. I was given the opportunity to ask some questions. Here’s the paraphrased transcript or most of what I recall.

“My name is Agatha Odigie, an Abuja based architect, I run a design practice with my husband who happens to be here.” (cheering from his fans in the audience)

Sam Oboh who had met and discussed with my husband at an architects’ parley held a couple of days earlier went:  

“Aha, Blessing, so here she is” (insert my proud moment face)

Agatha: Hello Bill and Sam, thank you for the excellent advocacy work in your respective constituencies. As one who does a lot of research, I have been privileged to access and utilze many advocacy materials from the AIA website.

Referring to Sam- “I don’t know if it was during your tenure as president that the campaign “Every Building Has an Architect” began, but it was a truly excellent initiative”. Sam goes on to nod in the affirmative.

Now focusing on Bill, I begin,  

“As a female architect in the industry, I have first-hand experience of the peculiar challenges women face in the largely male dominated industry as evidenced in the all-male panel we gave here”. Does the AIA provide the necessary framework for female architects to thrive. Now this is where the magic immediately starts to unfold. 

First, there is general laughter followed by applause from the audience and next thing you know, one of the panelists, a most distinguished gentleman and architect insisted on the Female Architects of Nigeria (FAN) President joining the panel.

With the necessary adjustments concluded, Bill with a smile, goes on to do adequate justice to my question, wholeheartedly concurring that the female architect, even in the United States does encounter a lot of challenges. He gave an instance of a meeting with professionals, where a female offers an intelligent input only to have it ignored, then only for her male counterpart to give the exact same solution and the other colleagues are giving him all the accolades. Going further, he informed us that the AIA has engaged the services of a consultant with regards to relating properly with them and providing the female in the regard of deliberately providing platforms for female architects to excel within the larger body.

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On the side-lines, a female architect avers most surprisingly to me that there is no gender demarcation in the body of architecture. I take time to explain that evern thought I can hold my own with my male colleagues, the challenges being faced cannot be ignored.