PROPERTY TRANSACTION GUIDE

Lagos plans international design contest for demolished BOI site
By Emmanuel Badejo

Guardian, Monday, 21st September 2009

TWENTY-FOUR months after Lagos State Government successfully demolished the debilitated 18-storey Bank of Industry (BOI) former head office building, plans are underway to launch an international architecture design competition to conceive a replacement for the structure.

The imposing edifice stood tall within the Lagos commercial nerve centre at 63/67 Broad Street, Lagos Island, before it was gutted by fire on March 22, 2006

The initiative, which is being undertaken by the state government, is coming amidst numerous proposals from different professionals, notably architects, within the building industry

But an official of the state government, who sought not to be named, told The Guardian at the weekend that the state government has evolved a brief for an international design competition for the site, which would soon take off.

"One year after BOI, we have a brief for an International Design Competition for Africa's Financial Centre, which the new building will compliment. This is just about to take off. We have several proposals, but because the implosion was unique, we believe the design and development should be unique."

Details of the planned competition, however, are yet to be revealed.

The state-doctored demolition of the structure in the midst of the tight development scenario on Broad Street, Lagos, was demolished a year ago tomorrow without any damage to the environment.

The high-rise structure had partially collapsed in March 2006, leaving one person feared dead and 27 others hospitalized. The building, which had been gutted by fire a day earlier, housed about 30 business organisations.

Until Hi-Tech Construction Company, a South African firm and Wreckers International PTV, a sub-contractor whose experts handled the actual demolition, successfully pulling it down through a controlled demolition, the building had constituted a nightmare to residents and adjoining property in the central Lagos.

Before then, controversy had greeted the move by Lagos to acquire the property, as agents of Federal Government decried the move. This halted plans for the property for a while. Later, the search for demolition experts by both authorities and who should pay for their services became an issue, as the Federal Government was not willing to shoulder the bill.

The Lagos State Government eventually facilitated the demolition of the property on September 22, 2008.

To execute the job, which occurred at about 11a.m. on that day, over 5,900 explosives were said to have been planted within the structure and detonated via a controlled switch, reducing the edifice that had constituted a threat to lives in the neighborhood for over two and half years to rubble.

On hand to witness the demolition were Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola and his Deputy, Princess Sarah Sosan; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Okikiola Akiolu; the Whenu Aholu Menu Toyi Oba Babatunde Akran of Badagry. Also there were the Chief Imam of Lagos, Alhaji Garuba Akinola; former Governor of Lagos State and one-time Minister of Housing, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and former Minister of Works, Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu among top government's officials.