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RINAU is Nigeria's first structured research mentorship programme for architecture undergraduates from research question to published article.
RINAU envisions an African built environment research ecosystem where Nigerian architecture graduates are competitive globally equipped with the research skills, publication credits, and academic networks to pursue postgraduate study, international fellowships, and careers that change how cities are designed, built, and understood.
RINAU delivers a fully funded, structured 12-week interdisciplinary research masterclass, publishes every intern's work in RINAU Research Editions, and creates postgraduate pathways advancing SDG 4, SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 8 by building the next generation of climate-resilient built environment researchers in Nigeria.
RINAU was founded to close a well-documented gap in Nigerian architecture education. Despite thousands of architecture undergraduates across the country, the vast majority graduate without ever publishing a research article, formulating a peer-reviewed research question, or receiving structured academic mentorship.
Architecture students across Nigeria deserve greater exposure to research writing and structured academic mentorship. Many graduate without ever having been guided through a research question, a literature review, or a peer-reviewed submission. Students with genuine intellectual potential often reach graduation without the tools or mentorship needed to produce and publish original academic work.
RINAU was founded to fix this not by policing students but by equipping them with what they should have had from Day 1: a structured 12-week masterclass, interdisciplinary mentorship, ethical AI tools, a clear publication pathway, and a postgraduate exchange programme.
RINAU does not shame students who have relied on ghost-writers. It gives the next student no reason to. By teaching research as a skill from Day 1, providing interdisciplinary masterclass mentorship, embedding ethical AI tools, and publishing every intern's work in RINAU Research Editions, RINAU makes doing your own research the most empowering option available.
RINAU's core programme is a structured 12-week interdisciplinary research masterclass delivered by expert guest speakers across architecture, environmental science, public health, AI literacy, and academic writing. Every week, interns learn one component of research writing across all three formats thesis, journal article, and conference paper and apply it immediately to their own research topic.
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RINAU Research Editions (RRE) is the open-access, ISSN-registered publication of RINAU. Every completing intern leaves with at least one citable, peer-reviewed article published in a real academic journal not a portfolio, not a report, a journal.
RINAU Volunteer Masterclass Speakers deliver one 90-minute expert session to the full cohort. One hour. Life-changing impact. In return, RINAU recognises your contribution with a formal certificate, Mentor Wall feature, and a LinkedIn recommendation from the Executive Director.
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RINAU (Research Internship for Nigerian Architecture Undergraduates) is a non-profit research mentorship organisation that trains Nigerian architecture undergraduates in research writing, publication, and academic development through a structured 12-week interdisciplinary masterclass programme. Applications for each cohort are announced on this website.
RINAU welcomes students from adjacent disciplines including Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Public Health, and Building Technology. Research in the built environment is inherently interdisciplinary, and the programme is stronger when students from different fields engage with it together.
RINAU was founded by Obadiah Adams Zhiri, a graduate architect and researcher from Niger State. He founded it after years of informally mentoring architecture undergraduates and recognising that the system was producing graduates who could not frame a research question or write an academic abstract. RINAU was developed as his Capstone Project for the AI-Integrated Leadership Program (AILP) at the Aspire Institute, Harvard University, and commended for its clear, mission-driven, and systems-oriented design.
RINAU is an independent non-profit organisation. It is not affiliated with any single university, which means interns from any accredited Nigerian institution are welcome to apply. RINAU works in partnership with universities, architecture schools, and research institutions across Nigeria and internationally.
Each week features a 90-minute interdisciplinary masterclass delivered by a guest expert on one component of research writing covering the full arc from research questions and literature review through methodology, data analysis, discussion, conclusion, and publication. Interns apply each session immediately to their own research topic. By Week 10, every intern has a complete first draft of their Solo Article. Week 12 is a live in-person celebration and award event in Nigeria.
Every completing intern produces three research outputs: a Solo Article on their chosen topic, a Cross-disciplinary Duo Article co-authored with an intern from a complementary discipline, and a contribution to the Cohort Group Article. All three are published in RINAU Research Editions, the programme's open-access, ISSN-registered publication.
RINAU Research Editions (RRE) is the programme's open-access, ISSN-registered publication released at the close of each cohort. It collects every intern's articles into a beautifully designed, freely readable research journal. It is citable in academic databases and represents a real publication on your CV. Visit the RRE page on this website for the full structure and details.
The Duo Article is a co-authored research article produced by two interns from complementary disciplines, bridging their individual research angles into one argument that neither could write alone. For example, an intern researching thermal comfort in buildings and an intern researching respiratory health outcomes might co-author an article on the relationship between building envelope performance and indoor air quality. RINAU matches Duo pairs in Week 6 based on research topic compatibility.
After Week 11, there is approximately one month of structured activity before the Week 12 celebration. During this interval, interns complete final article revisions, the RINAU editorial panel reviews all submissions for the Best Article Awards shortlist, and RINAU Research Editions is designed and typeset. Week 12 then takes place as a live in-person event in Nigeria, where all completing interns gather for the celebration, award ceremony, certificate presentation, and RRE launch.
Yes. The RINAU curriculum teaches across all three research formats every single week thesis, journal article, and conference paper. A thesis is a comprehensive academic investigation of 15,000 to 80,000 words examined by an academic committee. A journal article presents one specific argument within 4,000 to 8,000 words for a peer-reviewed journal. A conference paper presents focused research of 2,000 to 5,000 words for conference proceedings. RINAU teaches each research component in all three formats so interns can write fluently across all output types.
RINAU_digest is a weekly article platform for RINAU Graduates. Upon completing the internship, every RINAU intern automatically becomes a RINAU_digest Writer. As a RINAU_digest Writer, graduates are invited to contribute a weekly article on any topic of personal or professional interest, keeping their research writing active, their voices public, and their academic profiles growing long after the internship ends. RINAU_digest is designed to build a lasting community of Nigerian architecture researchers who write consistently and publicly.
Applications are open to architecture undergraduates in their 300 Level and above at accredited Nigerian universities. Students from adjacent disciplines including Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Public Health, and Building Technology are also welcome. All genders and all regions of Nigeria are encouraged to apply.
Yes. RINAU programmes are fully funded. There is no tuition fee, no registration fee, and no hidden charges at any stage. All publication submission fees are covered by RINAU.
Applications for each cohort are announced on this website and through RINAU's social media channels. Register your interest using the application form on this website and you will be notified when applications open for the next cohort.
Yes, and in fact RINAU specifically prioritises students from institutions where research training and mentorship are limited. The programme is designed to give every student what they should have had from Day 1, regardless of which university they attend.
RINAU is selective we review each application carefully for genuine research curiosity, academic commitment, and clarity of writing. We do not select based on CGPA alone. A student from a less-ranked institution with a compelling research question and a strong personal statement is as competitive as a student from any other institution.
Each week features a 90-minute interdisciplinary masterclass delivered by a guest expert on one component of research writing, covering the full arc from research questions and literature review through methodology, data analysis, discussion, conclusion, and publication. Interns apply each session immediately to their own research topic. By Week 10, every intern has a complete first draft of their Solo Article. Week 12 is a live in-person celebration event in Nigeria.
Every completing intern produces three research outputs: a Solo Article on their chosen topic, a Cross-disciplinary Duo Article co-authored with an intern from a complementary discipline, and a contribution to the Cohort Group Article. All three are published in RINAU Research Editions, the programme's open-access, ISSN-registered publication, and may also be submitted to external peer-reviewed journals or conference proceedings.
The RINAU curriculum teaches across all three formats every week. A thesis is a comprehensive academic investigation of 15,000 to 80,000 words examined by an academic committee. A journal article presents one specific argument within 4,000 to 8,000 words and is published in a peer-reviewed journal. A conference paper presents focused, often preliminary research of 2,000 to 5,000 words for conference proceedings. RINAU teaches each research component (abstract, introduction, methodology, etc.) in all three formats so interns can write fluently across outputs.
The Duo Article is a co-authored research article produced by two interns from complementary disciplines, bridging their individual research angles into one argument that neither could write alone. For example, an intern researching thermal comfort in buildings and an intern researching respiratory health outcomes in low-income communities might co-author an article on the relationship between building envelope performance and indoor air quality. RINAU matches Duo pairs in Week 6 based on research topic compatibility.
After Week 11, there is approximately one month of structured activity before the Week 12 celebration. During this interval, interns complete their final article revisions, the RINAU editorial panel reviews all submissions for the Best Article Awards shortlist, and the RINAU Research Editions Vol. 1 publication is designed and typeset. Week 12 then takes place as a live in-person event in Nigeria, where all completing interns gather for the celebration, award ceremony, certificate presentation, and RRE launch.
Whether you have a question about the programme, a partnership opportunity, or want to learn more about RINAU Research Editions, we are here to help.
The 12-Week Curriculum is accessible to registered RINAU members interns, mentors, partners, and volunteers.
Not yet a member? and we will send you access once onboarded.
RINAU Research Editions (RRE) is the official publication platform of RINAU, created to ensure that every intern's research work reaches the world in a credible, citable, and beautifully designed format.
Unlike most undergraduate publications, RRE is not a collection of assignments it is a genuine academic journal. Each article goes through peer review, editorial feedback, and revision before publication. The result is work that interns can cite on their CVs, share with graduate schools, and reference in future academic writing.
RRE is freely downloadable and open access. It will be deposited in academic databases and indexed for discoverability.
At each cohort's Week 12 celebration event, RINAU presents three Best Article Awards one for each output type.
Upon completing the RINAU internship, every graduate automatically becomes a RINAU_digest Writer. RINAU_digest is a weekly article platform where RINAU Graduates write on any topic of personal or professional interest, keeping their research voice active and their academic profile growing long after the programme ends.
It is designed to build a lasting community of Nigerian architecture researchers who write consistently, publicly, and with purpose.
Obadiah Adams Zhiri is a graduate architect, interdisciplinary researcher, and non-profit founder from Niger State. He holds a B.Tech in Architecture from the Federal University of Technology Minna and completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Nigeria.
He is a graduate of the AI-Integrated Leadership Program (AILP) at the Aspire Institute, Harvard University, where RINAU was developed as his Capstone Project and commended for its clear, mission-driven, and systems-oriented design. He is also a graduate of the Global Mentorship Initiative Program (GMI) and a Leaders of Africa Institute Impact Scholar.