Muyiwa Oki Elected as RIBA's First Black President, Pledging Reform and Diversity

Muyiwa Oki, a 31-year-old employee at multinational firm Mace, has been elected president of RIBA, the UK's architectural body. He will begin his two-year term in September 2023, succeeding Simon Allford. Oki's victory came over better-known candidates Jo Bacon, managing partner at Allies and Morrison, and Sumita Singha, founder of Ecologic and OBE recipient. Nominated by a collective of young architects, students, and campaign groups, Oki campaigned on reforming working conditions, including mandating paid overtime and promoting flexible career pathways. He aims to shift RIBA away from 'starchitect' culture and self-serving initiatives while addressing diversity issues in a profession where Black representation stands at just 1%. White British architects increased from 79% to 84% between 2018 and 2019.