The Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA) has announced plans to clamp down on individuals posing as architects and foreign professionals operating illegally in the country.
The move follows the arrest of a man accused of using a duplicated architectural stamp and registration number belonging to a licensed architect.
Tony Asare, a Board Member of the Architects Registration Council (ARC), said the suspect was arrested after concerns were raised over the authenticity of a stamp used to endorse building drawings submitted to a client.
Speaking in an interview in Accra, Mr Asare said a registered architect later sought verification of the stamp at the GIA Secretariat, where officials identified discrepancies linked to the registration details.
Investigations allegedly revealed that the suspect, identified as Fiati Kwame Edwin, was not a registered architect but had been using the registration number and identity of Architect Anthony Parker-London, a licensed architect based in Tema.
“We discovered that somebody had impersonated an architect,” Mr Asare said.
“The suspect used the architect’s registration number and identity to stamp drawings illegally.”
According to Mr Asare, the suspect was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service on 12 May 2026 following a joint operation with the Institute.
He said the duplicated stamp had been retrieved and investigations were continuing.
Mr Asare said the GIA intended to pursue the case to ensure those involved faced prosecution.
“We are not backing down. We are going to pursue this matter and ensure that the duplication of stamps and the impersonation of architects are dealt with according to the law,” he said.
The Institute also warned foreign architects and firms operating in Ghana without the required registration and licensing to comply with the country’s laws governing architectural practice.
Mr Asare said some foreign practitioners were undertaking projects and advertising services without approval from the GIA and the Architects Registration Council.
“If you practise in this country according to law, you must be registered,” he said.
“If not, you have contravened the law, and for every day you practise illegally, you are liable to fines.”
He further called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to verify the credentials of architects before approving building drawings.
According to him, the GIA has provided assemblies with channels to authenticate architects and confirm their registration status.
Mr Asare warned that officials who knowingly approve drawings endorsed with fake stamps could be held partly responsible in the event of structural failures.
He also encouraged developers and members of the public to use the GIA’s online portal to verify architects before engaging their services.
“The more complex your building, the more important it is to engage an architect,” he said.
“Some of the building collapses and defective design standards we have witnessed could have been prevented if qualified professionals had been engaged.”
The GIA said it would intensify public education and collaborate with assemblies and other institutions to curb illegal architectural practice in Ghana.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
