Professional Ethics and Liability Management in Architectural Consulting Practice in Nigeria

Professional ethics and liability management are foundational to architectural practice quality, client trust, and public safety, yet their formal management in Nigerian architectural consulting firms has not been systematically investigated despite the significant exposure of practitioners to negligence claims and ethical dilemmas in the current operating environment. This study investigates the professional ethics standards and liability management practices of architectural consulting firms in Nigeria, drawing on questionnaire data from seventy-five ARCON-registered firms across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano. The study examines adherence to the ARCON Code of Professional Conduct, the prevalence of ethical dilemmas encountered in practice, professional indemnity insurance coverage and claims history, contract documentation practices related to liability limitation, and the role of continuing professional development in ethics maintenance. Results indicate that seventy-one percent of respondents report encountering ethical dilemmas in the past two years, most commonly related to client pressure to compromise structural specifications for cost reduction, requests to certify completed works that deviate from approved drawings, and conflicts between multiple client interests. Professional indemnity insurance coverage is held by thirty-one percent of firms. Contract documents addressing liability allocation between architect and contractor are used consistently by only forty percent of firms. CPD participation in ethics-related modules is minimal. The study recommends the strengthening of ARCON's ethics enforcement mechanism, the development of practice liability management guidelines, and the introduction of ethics and professional accountability as a compulsory annual CPD module. Keywords: professional ethics, liability management, architectural practice, ARCON, Nigeria.