The goal of architectural education is directed towards the attainment of a humane and responsive environment. This is subsumed in the overall purpose of education, which is to prepare people to perpetuate and improve their society. In this endeavour architects are trained to understand the nature of societal problems in their environmental context. This paper takes a critical look at the programmes of architectural education in Nigeria in their bid to contribute to, and improve the quality of the human habitat and ensure its sustainability. It notes the degradation of the environment and housing conditions in Nigeria's urban centres, which is symptomatic of the rapid urbanisation occurring in the country. It asserts that though the curricula in Nigerian architectural schools have been designed to ensure the provision of education that ensures the attainment of professional skills requisite for effective shaping, reordering , and articulation of the built environment, there are shortcomings. It proffers recommendations for invigorating architectural education for attaining a sustainable and qualitative human habitat.

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The construction industry is one of the largest solid waste generators all over the globe. Because waste generation from both new construction works, as well as renovation works has been on the increase, it is absolutely necessary for the construction industry to adopt ecologically sound planning and construction practices for the purpose of creating a healthy and sustainable built environment. This is the focus of this paper. It appraises the management of construction waste in Nigeria and Akure in particular. A survey of selected construction sites in Akure is used as a case study to demonstrate the magnitude of poor management level of construction waste generation observed and the implications on the built environment. Research findings reveal that the Ondo State Waste Management Board is responsible for the management of solid waste in the city and over 78% of the construction waste is disposed indiscriminately or burnt on site, since the mandate of the board does not cover construction waste. Contractors were observed to cart away a sizeable junk of the waste for other uses. The paper suggests a wide range of measures for minimisation of waste on construction sites. These include modularisation of design, standardisation of building components, industrial production of building materials, efficient specification writing, retraining of building professionals, reuse and recycling among others. The paper concludes that there is colossal deficiency in the management of construction waste in the study area and recommend ways of ameliorating it.

Housing is central to quality of life and consumes large amounts of resources in its construction, maintenance and use. It contributes significantly to sustainability because it consumes a substantial proportion of the global greenhouse gases. The building industry consumes a substantial percentage of the materials entering the global economy, and is responsible for the emission of almost half of the global greenhouse gases. Sustainability is achieved in housing through minimizing climate change, reducing pollution and improving air quality and health, and thus creating sustainable settlements. In Nigeria building earth is the indigenous material for construction and has been used for centuries. Extensive research has been carried out in the country, notably by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute which has resulted in the use of stabilized blocks for walling offering low-carbon solutions. This research focuses on the development of the blocks as innovative low carbon construction materials for housing construction in Nigeria. It discusses the potentials of the blocks in minimizing negative impact on the environment and thus enhancing sustainable housing.