THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (PWD) IN NIGERIA DURING THE EARLY TO MID TWENTIETH CENTURY By Ibiyemi Omotayo Salami A Thesis Submitted in Accordance with the Requirements of the University of Liverpool for the Degree of Doctor in Philosophy (PhD) University of Liverpool Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of the Arts, Department of Architecture FEBRUARY, 2016 Abstract My research explores the early to mid-twentieth century architecture of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Nigeria. It does this by examining official colonial records, PWD surviving buildings and architecture professional records. By adopting these three strands of investigation, the research aims to better understand the department’s building operations, building types and designs, and the composition of its architectural personnel. More importantly, the research aims to demonstrate that a study of Nigeria PWD architecture significantly contributes to wider debates on tropical imperial architecture and Nigeria’s colonial architecture. There has been a host of previous literature on empire and its influences on architecture in the tropics, with a number of these studies examining the PWD in some former imperial environments. However, Nigeria’s imperial architecture literature is mostly limited to the country’s late colonial tropical modernist works, while the PWD remains largely un- researched. The only previous work found on Nigeria PWD architecture, is Davidson’s 1957 The architectural works of the ministry of works, Western Region, Nigeria. This focuses on drawing approvals, the architectural staff strength, and the building output and climatic design factors employed. But this is all presented in a two page article that provides very limited insights. Are the issues raised in Davidson’s study all there is to PWD architecture in Nigeria? Other emerging questions will be - what comprehensive building operations did the department undertake? What were the building types constructed, and was climate the only design consideration? Who were the architects, why had they worked there at the time, and what was the relation to Nigeria’s early architectural profession? To answer these questions and obtain the insights needed to build on Davidson’s 1957 study, the research methods employed are - archival investigations, to source official colonial records; fieldwork, to track down surviving PWD buildings; and unstructured interview so as to obtain a veteran’s account of working in the department. The data obtained is analysed in the three sections of PWD building operations, PWD building output and PWD architectural personnel. The main findings which emerge therefore are that, (a) although PWD building operations were being implemented at all levels by colonial officials, the native administration level imbibed significant native operational inputs; (b) Although PWD buildings were mainly initiated to serve colonial administrative purposes, the designs largely portrayed architecture as a vital tool for improved tropical health; and (c) although PWD architects were perceived as agents of a grand imperial building scheme, in reality they had functioned more as professionals taking up practice opportunities. On the whole, the mainstream arguments have mainly stressed the PWD’s role in imperial building agenda. However, the findings of the research indicate and also further the argument that within this wider agenda, the PWD also operated in what may be termed as localized agendas. While this better addressed the practical realities of working, building and living in the colonies, it also aimed to limit certain colonizer-colonized barriers. 1 Table of Contents List of Illustrations ..................................................................................................................... 4 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................. 9 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 10 Dedication ................................................................................................................................ 12 Declaration ............................................................................................................................... 13 Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 15 1.1 The field / context of study ............................................................................................ 15 1.2 Previous research / what is currently understood ........................................................... 17 1.3 Statement of the problem (establishing the need for the research) ................................ 18 1.4 Aim of the project .......................................................................................................... 21 1.5 Research significance and contribution to knowledge ................................................... 23 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 26 2.1 The tropical imperial built environment......................................................................... 27 2.2 Architecture in the tropical imperial built environment ................................................. 33 2.3 The Public Works Department (PWD) in the imperial built environment .................... 41 2.4 Architecture in the tropical imperial built environment at the close of empire ............. 69 2.5 Colonial PWD architecture in Nigeria ........................................................................... 75 2.6 Late colonial mid-twentieth century tropical modernist architecture in Nigeria ......... 100 CHAPTER 3: METHODS ..................................................................................................... 115 3.1 Archival investigation .................................................................................................. 115 3.2 Field work .................................................................................................................... 125 3.3 Unstructured Interviews ............................................................................................... 137 3.4 Problems associated with doing research in Nigeria .................................................... 139 CHAPTER 4: NIGERIA PWD BUILDING OPERATIONS ................................................ 146 4.1 Nigeria PWD early days ............................................................................................... 147 4.2 From military expeditions to Works Department ........................................................ 152 4.3 Departmental and project implementation structure .................................................... 158 4.4 Building operations: The PWD yard and Native staff role .......................................... 170 4.5 Building operations: The drawing office ..................................................................... 184 CHAPTER 5: NIGERIA PWD BUILDINGS: FEATURES AND EXPRESSIONS ............ 192 5.1 Administrative and symbolic buildings........................................................................ 193 2 5.2 Buildings typifying climatic factor and tropical health considerations ........................ 230 5.3 Travel, Trade and Communications buildings ............................................................. 252 CHAPTER 6: NIGERIA PWD ARCHITECTS AT THE CLOSE OF EMPIRE .................. 300 6.1 Nigeria PWD architectural operations at the close of Empire ..................................... 301 6.2 Snapshot of data on Nigeria PWD Architects .............................................................. 304 6.3 Sources employed to generate snapshot ....................................................................... 304 6.4 Emerging questions from snap-shot of data on PWD Architects................................. 311 CHAPTER 7: KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ...................................................... 347 7.1 Key findings of the research......................................................................................... 347 7.2 Practical implications of the research and how findings can be used .......................... 356 7.3 Possible areas for future studies ................................................................................... 359 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 364 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 386 Appendix 1 - full text of 1 October 2014 interview, granted me by veteran PWD Architect Charles Stevenson (1923 - ) ................................................................................................... 386 Appendix 2 – Snapshot of Data on Nigeria PWD architects (Bio-data, training, travel and practice records) ..................................................................................................................... 404 Appendix 3 - 1917 Letters for the construction of European and Native Hospitals, Kaduna 420 Appendix 4 - 1926 Letter on Northern Province Staff housing for Kaduna