Muyiwa Oki and the RIBA President Campaign

Muyiwa Oki's RIBA President campaign mattered because it made future architects, younger practitioners and under-represented voices feel closer to the centre of the conversation.

The original article was a first-hand campaign account from Muyiwa Oki. It captured the early rush of the 2022 RIBA election campaign: nominations, hustings, grassroots support and a clear push for education, transparency, inclusion and a digital future.

Why the campaign mattered

The campaign was not only about one person getting a title. It was about whether the profession could listen to people who were closer to the future of practice: students, assistants, younger professionals, campaigners and people who felt the institution did not always speak for them.

RIBA later confirmed the 2022 election results, with Muyiwa Oki elected as RIBA President for the 2023 to 2025 term. That result gives the campaign story extra weight now.

The campaign themes

• Raising education standards.
• Creating more transparent and democratic engagement within RIBA.
• Giving future architects a stronger voice.
• Promoting inclusion across the profession.
• Building skills for a digital future.

Campaign versus hustings

One useful lesson from the original piece is the difference between campaigning and hustings. Campaigning is about building a message, gathering support and showing why the issue matters. Hustings are the public test: can you explain the message under pressure, answer difficult questions and make people trust your judgement?

For any future architect thinking about leadership, that distinction matters. Visibility is not enough. You also need clarity, preparation and the ability to speak to people who are not already convinced.

Related audio: RIBA presidential hustings

This related Architecture Social episode adds the wider hustings context around what candidates were being asked and what members wanted to hear.

Open media

What future architects can learn

• You do not need to wait until late career to contribute to the profession.
• A campaign works best when it has a clear point of view, not only a personal brand.
• Institutional change needs both pressure from outside and people willing to work inside the room.
• The strongest messages connect personal experience to a wider professional problem.
• If you want change, learn the rules of the system as well as criticising it.

What practices and institutions should notice

The campaign also carried a message for practices and institutions. Younger professionals do not only want slogans about the future. They want education, pay, progression, digital skills, inclusion and professional voice to be treated as real issues.

• For career planning, read the Architecture Career Planning Guide.
• For a related institutional angle, read RIBA House of Architecture and Change.
• For wider Architecture Social conversations, browse the podcast archive.

Source notes

Useful background links include the Architects' Journal coverage of the RIBA contenders, the BD interview with Muyiwa Oki and the official RIBA 2022 election results.

Common mistakes

• Treating professional institutions as irrelevant, then being surprised when they shape the profession.
• Assuming younger voices should wait their turn before speaking.
• Confusing social visibility with a coherent campaign message.
• Ignoring the practical work needed after a campaign wins attention.

Architecture Social view

Architecture Social's view is that the campaign showed why future architects need platforms, not just advice. When people see someone closer to their own experience step forward, the profession feels less closed.

Next step

Use this story as a prompt to get involved. Follow the issues, vote when you can, ask better questions and make your career decisions with the wider profession in mind. For practical next steps, use Architecture Social's resources, podcast and career guides.