Nigeria

One of the early examples of Nigerian colonial public buildings still stands tall on 14 Marina Street, Lagos, South-West Nigeria. The Lagos Old Secretariat, more than a century old, sits on a site of approximately two acres. It was built to house the&nbsp;British colonial administration of the then Southern Protectorate of Nigeria. The Old Secretariat, once called the Central&nbsp;Secretary’s Office, was designed and constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD),&nbsp;which was responsible for many of the colonial&nbsp;administrative buildings in the country. The location of the old national secretariat in Marina, Lagos was significant as it was formerly the administrative seat&nbsp;of Lagos colony and subsequently, the capital of the Southern Protectorate of Nigeria (1906). Tthe Lagos Marina is also the site to other similarly imposing historic administrative buildings. The Government House and&nbsp;Government Printing Press are some of the old colonial structures that still stand on Lagos Island today. At the site’s gate, one is immediately struck by the imposing ambiance of order and authority the building exudes, features that are synonymous with its typology. The concepts of symmetry and repetition speak loudly to the observer through slender columns, large windows, and dominant arches.&nbsp;&nbsp; The building is laid out around a central rectilinear courtyard and defined by a symmestrical U-shaped plan. A circular garden sits at the center of the courtyard together with two single floored blocks beside it. There are three defined points of entry into the building. Each entry is at the center of the sides of the U-shaped layout. The main entrance sits imposingly at the center of the whole structure, directly opposite the site entry. It is strongly differentiated by twin towers which are absent on the other entrances. At the ground floor level of the entry is a large central semi-circular arch, flanked by arched openings on its sides. The entryway is completed by similar arches on the opposite side as one walks into the building. Throughout the building, such arches are present at various entry points. Four embedded Doric columns sit on the entry wall. These Doric columns are repeated and aligned on the wall of the floor above, with shutter windows between the columns. Similarly, they sit on a rectangular base like the columns of the ground floor. The pediment is defined by wooden cornices and marked by perforated moulding along the edges of the plain tympanum. The towers are distinctly separated into three parts by cornices. Just above the tower base is the signature arch opening.&nbsp;Quoins grace the edges of the towers from the base to where it abuts at the base of the pediment. Right above this is the part of the tower that houses the circular clock recesses, centered on all four sides of the tower. A pair of composite Corinth columns on rectangular bases are also found on the four edges. A dome sits at the top of each tower and covers the watch station. A wide hallway stretches along the front and rear of the 3000 square meter building. On each floor, it is supported by arcades composed of Doric columns placed at intervals of about 3.6m. These intervals are continued in the interior spaces with similar columns between them. The verandas are complete with a series of vertical balustrades placed between these columns. The most significant building materials are wood and brick. The bricks were sourced overseas and bear the armorial bearings&nbsp;(‘broad arrow’) stamp of the Quartermaster General of Britain that appeared on all British government property. The building is a typical example of the British colonial architectural style in Nigeria. It is one that was conceived to fit the warm and humid climate of Lagos. The long-spanning pitch roof with sharp eaves above large veranda spaces shades the occupants and living spaces from sun and heavy rainfall. The shutter windows and air vents on its roof facilitate better air movement and ventilation throughout the building.&nbsp; The Old Secretariat building still remains a notable built structure in Nigeria’s architectural history. It was lauded at its time for its architecture and role in portraying the power of imperial Britain. Margery Perham, a renowned British&nbsp;historian of colonial Africa praised the building as ‘the most handsome building of its kind I have yet seen in British&nbsp;Africa.’ It functioned as an administrative building long after Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960. It became the headquarters of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice. When the Nigerian capital was moved to Abuja in 1991, it was made a zonal office for the Federal Ministry of Justice. Today, it also houses the National Secretariat for the&nbsp;Nigerian Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS). The Old Secretariat was declared a national monument&nbsp;by the National Commission of Museum and Monuments since 1982. Iin spite of its evident public appreciation and&nbsp;continued use, the building tells a tale of neglect and poor maintenance. Unfortunately, no deliberate action for restoration is in view.	by Adefolatomiwa Toye, 11 November, 2020 Edited by Jola Idowu [1] Ogunlade, F. O. “Education and Politics in Colonial Nigeria: The Case of King’s College, Lagos (1906-1911).” Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria 1974, vol. 7, no. 2, 1974, pp. 325–45.[2] Heap, Simon. “The Nigerian National Archives, Ibadan: An Introduction for Users and a Summary of Holdings.” History in Africa, vol. 18, Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp. 159–172, doi:10.2307/3172061.[3] S Salami, I. O. The Architecture of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Nigeria During the Early to Mid-Twentieth Century. University of Liverpool, 2016.[4] Whiteman, Kaye. Lagos: A Cultural History. Interlink Books, 2014.[5] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/wjnceF4TKcrcSTZR7. Accessed 10 November 2020.[6] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/jACSf8PRgsNsXXkN6. Accessed 10 November 2020.[7] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/SprjHcpXWAU6E1bF8. Accessed 10 November 2020.[8] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/ZHPGFHLjYQbu2msz8. Accessed 10 November 2020.[9] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/FbtPXARgsMS8x4t18. Accessed 10 November 2020.[10] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/EJ5QssxdN6Q8idPPA. Accessed 10 November 2020.[11] Abodunrin,Olabisi and Anabaraonye, Kelechi. “Self-Guided Tour of Lagos Island.” Lost in Lagos, https://www.lostinlagos.com/gist/159.&nbsp;Accessed 23 July 2020.[12] Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The Ministry Zonal Offices.” Federal Ministry of Justice,<a href="https://justice.gov.ng/index.php/the-ministry/zonal-offices" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://justice.gov.ng/index.php/the-ministry/zonal-offices</a>. Accessed 10 November 2020.[13] National Commission of Museum and Monuments. “Declared National Monuments.” National Commission of Museum and Monuments, Nigeria,<a href="https://ncmm.gov.ng/declared/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://ncmm.gov.ng/declared/</a>. Accessed 10 November 2020.[14] Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/LqCDsNWsUsxVWz149. Accessed 10 November 2020[15]Sokoh, Ozoz. Google Maps,2019, https://goo.gl/maps/ra5a7S6VpWkj55Ma7. Accessed 10 November 2020.

The Old Secretariat Building

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/download

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/iiif

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/info

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/inline

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/preview

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/thumbnail

https://archnet-3-staging-iiif-cloud-52e731ed1e62.herokuapp.com/public/resources/2571d6c8-3d8d-4182-a5c0-726a41ecb2e6/content

digital graphic

IAA708024

Archnet is a community-powered resource that provides ready access to visual and textual material to facilitate teaching, scholarship, and professional work of high quality.&nbsp;This unparalleled resource continues to grow with both the addition of historic archives and documentation on contemporary trends shaping the built environment today.&nbsp;To better serve you, our user, in the study of art and architecture of Muslim societies, we continue to build our vast collection of sites, publications, images, and videos. To ensure a high level of scholarly content and accuracy in the information provided, we appreciate your expert feedback and, more importantly, your contributions..&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Please send comments, corrections, commendations, and other feedback to <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>If you find sites on Archnet to which you can contribute in compelling and meaningful ways, your generosity is most welcome. If you would be interested in contributing research, publications or other media to Archnet, please contact us using <a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>We invite contributions of relevant, previously published, Open Access or copyrighted material for which you are able to grant Archnet a non-exclusive license. Please contact us using <a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>We invite the contribution of syllabi, lesson plans, recorded lectures, or other material for our pedagogy project. Please contact us using <a href="about:blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>We welcome the donation of select archives based on our current editorial policies and priorities.&nbsp;If you have a collection you would like to bring to the attention of Archnet's editors, please send an email to: <a href="http://mailto: archnet-submission@mit.edu/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet-submission@mit.edu</a>.</li><li>Occasionally, Archnet editors issue calls for contributions on specific themes or of particular types of material. Follow those on the <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/akdc/category/contributors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website of AKDC@MIT </a>or <a href="https://mailchi.mp/17fc345bbd94/archnetakdc-updates" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to our mailing list</a>.</li></ul> The breadth, depth, and quality of Archnet is oachieved through the generosity of numerous institutions and individuals listed on the respective pages throughout the site.&nbsp;We thank you for your generosity!

Contribute

Archnet is an Open Access resource, provided to the public to facilitate cultural understanding and excellence in both scholarship and practice. Content from Archnet.org may not be published, displayed, or appropriated for commercial use without the expressed written permission of the copyright holder. Unless otherwise noted, Archnet material is available for instructional, nonprofit use, and personal use on the terms of a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International</a> (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. Please contact Archnet to request permission to use the Archnet.org website and its contents beyond the scope outlined above. High-resolution images may be available by contacting us using <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>. The content available on Archnet, including but not limited to information, text, graphics, logos, and multimedia related to the the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/authorities/1903" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Trust for Culture’</a>s programmes, such as the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/54" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Historic Cities Programme</a>, the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/848" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Award for Architecture</a> and the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/132" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Music Programme</a>, may be protected by copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights and laws, whether owned by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, its affiliates, or third parties. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or display of this content is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the respective copyright or trademark holder. Violation of this prohibition may result in legal penalties.

Terms of use

<h2>ARCHNET FAQ</h2>1. Will ARCHNET work on my device?Archnet works well on the most recent version of any major browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), either on a mobile device or computer. It may work on older or less common browsers as well. If Archnet fails to work properly on your machine, please let us know about your experience by clicking the blue feedback button at bottom right!2. Will my URLs from earlier versions of Archnet still work?Yes, if they are from the version launched in January 2013. As of October 12, 2021, all URLs from the old Archnet have been redirected to ARCHNET.&nbsp;&nbsp;3. How do I download a/n:&nbsp;<ul><li>image - Select the image you want to download from search results, a site or an authority. The image will open in your browser.&nbsp;Right click to download.&nbsp;For larger, high-resolution copies, see contact us using archnet@mit.edu.&nbsp;</li><li>publication - Open the page for the publication in your browser and click the download button. Reprinting Archnet publications is permissible only for personal use.&nbsp;Please contact us for any other requests.&nbsp;</li><li>site descriptions and metadata - Site descriptions and metadata can be used for any nonprofit or educational organization with appropriate attribution to the authors and Archnet.&nbsp;</li><li>video - Currently video downloads are not possible. If you'd like to use an Archnet video, please contact <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>See our <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/terms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terms of Use</a> for information on how you can use Archnnet material.4. Can I contribute material to Archnet?&nbsp;Yes!&nbsp;See our <a href="https://www.archnet.org/pages/contribute" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Contribute</a> page for more information.&nbsp;Calls for specific contributions are also also shared in our social media and on the <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/akdc/category/contributors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">web site of the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;5. What happened to the Archnet Timeline?&nbsp;Timeline has migrated into the ARCHNET NEXT Collections page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/collection_type/3/1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as a category</a>. These collections provide short introductions for each period, often offering lists of additional resources at the end of the entry. Only the timeline graphic listing the periods along a chronological axis has not migrated.6. My question isn't here.&nbsp;How can I get help?&nbsp;If your issue is with using Archnet, use the blue Feedback button to alert us to your issue. This will allow you to include a screenshot or recording. Please, also, feel free to contact us at <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>We are currently developing the help section of ARCHNET NEXT. In the meantime, please use the blue Feedback button in ARCHNET NEXT to send us feedback or other questions. Contact us at <a href="mailto:archnet@mit.edu" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archnet@mit.edu</a>.&nbsp;

Need help?

Welcome to ARCHNET, an open access, interdisciplinary, intellectual resource focused on the built environment of Muslim societies.Focused on the built environment of Islamic civilizations past and present, we seek to:<ul><li>Facilitate excellence in scholarship and professional work by&nbsp;providing reliable information and ready access&nbsp;to vetted, high-quality textual and multimedia resources&nbsp;focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design,&nbsp;heritage&nbsp;conservation, economic and environmental sustainability, community development and resilience in the face of rapid change, and related topics.</li><li>Enable teaching and learning in these domains by providing educators with reliable, effective pedagogical material and teaching aids.&nbsp;</li><li>Serve as a platform through which scholars, practitioners, and institutions can bring their work to new global audiences.&nbsp;</li><li>Promote intercultural understanding and dialogue through reliable, high-quality, peer-reviewed material on the diversity of and pluralism within Muslim societies and the interaction between Islamic and other religious, cultural, and philosophical traditions as it relates to architecture and urbanism.</li><li>Enable easy access to a wide variety of resources via a custom-built, web-based, mobile-friendly platform optimized to minimize financial, infrastructural, linguistic, and other barriers to access.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>Launched in 2002 after several years of development, ARCHNET is a pioneering digital resource that has proven a reliable authority on the built environment of Muslim societies, past and present.&nbsp;ARCHNET is a partnership between the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/1342" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries</a> (AKDC@MIT) and the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/authorities/1903" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Trust for Culture</a> (AKTC), with support from the <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/50" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture</a> at Harvard and MIT.&nbsp;ARCHNET is developed and maintained by <a href="https://www.performantsoftware.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Performant Software Solutions</a>.

Public Works Department (Nigeria)
Nigeria

Associated Sites

Additional Names

Public Works Department (Nigeria)

Associated Sites

Additional Names