Fola Alade: He designed the office of Head of State, 41 military barracks, Nigeria’s embassy buildings in 14 countries
Let’s start with a list of selected notable projects handled by Chief Fola Alade:
✅Offce of the Head of State and Council of Chambers, Dodan Barracks – Design & Supervision (1971-72)
✅The Heads of State, Federal Government Guest Houses in Victoria Island, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1974-75)
✅He supervised the construction of the National Stadium, Surulere in readiness for the 2nd All African Games in January – Supervision only (1971-73)
✅The then West African Portland Cement Company Head Of?ce WAPCO), Alausa, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1987-92).
✅National Sports Institute, National Stadium, Surulere – Design & Supervision (1974-75)
✅The Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1973-75)
✅He designed the prestigious Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, via Jos – Design & Supervision (1978-79).
✅Ife University (Now OAU) Teaching Hospital Complex – Design &Supervision (1980-83).
✅University of Maiduguri – Design & Supervision (1982-85).
✅Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo – Design & Supervision (1965-66)
✅The Armed Forces Rehabilitation and Training Centre, Oshodi, Lagos, including a Military Hospital and Crafts Centre – Design & Supervision (1968-70)
✅Land Titles Appeal Courts, Western State, Ibadan – Design & Supervision (1965-66)
✅All Saints Anglican Church, Ogbonkowo, Ondo – Design & Supervision (1965)
✅Multifarious Emergency War Projects including 6 Military Hospitals, Schools and others during the Nigerian civil wãr – Design G Supervision (1968-70)
✅Government Institutions, Housing schemes, Educational, Medical, Engineering workshops – Design & Supervision (1972-76).
👉He designed the Nigerian Embassy buildings in 14 countries out of which he supervised the construction of nine in the following countries:
** Monrovia, Liberia
** Freetown, Siera Leone
** Lussaka, Zambia
** Dakar, Senegal
** Bonn, West Germany
** Abidjan, Ivory Coast
** Cotonou, Benin Republic
** Brasilia, Brazil
** Peking, China
** Gaberone, Botswana
** Yaounde, Cameroun
** Islamabad, Pakistan
** Accra, Ghana
** Washington DC, USA
** Rome, Italy – Design & Supervision of nine of fourteen only (1970-76)
➡️Some of the 41 Military projects he designed and supervised include:
*️⃣ Army Barracks, Shaki, Oyo State
*️⃣ Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos
*️⃣ Nigerian Army Barracks, Bonny Camp
*️⃣ Army Brigade Barracks Epe, Lagos
*️⃣ Nigerian Airforce Base, Ikeja
*️⃣ Infantry Brigade Barracks, Owode, Ogun State
*️⃣ Ojo Cantonment *️⃣Re-development of Dodan Barracks
*️⃣ Army Barracks, Shendam, Plateau State
*️⃣ Army Brigade Headquarters and Barracks, Owerri
*️⃣ Army Cantonment, Zuru, Sokoto State
*️⃣ Battalion Barracks, Birnin Kebbi
*️⃣ Battalion Army Barracks, Ikom, Cross Rivers State
*️⃣ Brigade Headquarters and Barracks, Biu, Yobe State
*️⃣ Army Barracks, Bama, Bornu State
*️⃣ Brigade location, Mongonu, Bornu State
*️⃣ Army Cantonment, Abak, Akwa Ibom State
*️⃣ Brigade Barracks, Kef?, Plateau State
*️⃣ Brigade Headquarters and Barracks, Ekenwa, Benin
*️⃣ Army Battalion and Depot, Warri
*️⃣ Army Mechanical Engineering Training School Auchi
*️⃣ Military Hospital, Abakaliki
*️⃣ Navy School, Ojo, Lagos
*️⃣ Military Hospital, Jos
*️⃣ Military Hospital, Sokoto
*️⃣ Military Hospital, Ibadan
*️⃣ Military hospital, Ojo, Lagos
*️⃣ Military Hospital, Sokoto
*️⃣ Amphibean Brigade, Ikorodu
*️⃣ Batallion Barracks, Lokoja
*️⃣ Military Barracks and Training Base, Keffi, Plateau State
*️⃣ Batallion Army Barracks, Sarti, Gongola State
*️⃣ Nigerian Army Cantonment and Depot, Zaria
*️⃣ Air Force Base and Training School, Makurdi
*️⃣ Armoured Brigade Katchia, Kaduna State
*️⃣ Brigade Head Quarters location and Barracks, Minna
*️⃣ Naval Base, Ojo, Lagos
*️⃣ Army Barracks, Okitipupa, Ondo State – Design & Supervision (1970-79).
OTHER PROJECTS HE DESIGNED, SUPERVISED OR CONSTRUCTED
🇳🇬Development of Satellite Town, Lagos -Design & Supervision (1975-78).
🇳🇬Development of the Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos -Design & Supervision
🇳🇬Development of the Nigerian Air Force Base in Ikeja and Makurdi – Design & Supervision.
🇳🇬He designed the Prototype Federal Secretariats in the then nineteen State capitals of Nigeria – Design & Supervision (1973-76).
🇳🇬Transit Village, Victoria Island, Lagos as a Site Base Camp and Site office used for the construction of 1004 housing Estate – Design & Supervision (1974)
🇳🇬New Ministry of Affairs, Marina, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1975-76).
🇳🇬The National Cenotaph and Remembrance Arcade for “The Unknown Soldiers” and the relocation of the original Cenotaph from Idumota to Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1977).
🇳🇬Military (Creek) Hospital, Awolowo Rd, Ikoyi, Lagos – Design & Supervision (1977-79).
🇳🇬He re-designed the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos from its original design and old ceremonial structure. He also added the commercial hub and Shopping Complex with the incorporation of facilities for Health Care Suites, Banks and Offce Suites, a School and others. Design & Supervision (1975-78).
🇳🇬Federal Goverment College, Ijanikin, Lagos among other Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria – Design & Supervision (1978-79).
🇳🇬Prototype 12-storey block of flats at the Bar Beach Towers. The same design was replicated and built at Creek Hospital in Ikoyi, Mulliner Rd in Ikoyi, 2nd Avenue in Ikoyi, near NTA on Awolowo Road, and Eric Moore Towers in Surulere – Design & Supervision of Bar Beach Towers only, Design only of all others (1977-79).
🇳🇬St Philips Anglican Church, Aramoko Ekiti – Design & Supervision (1977-94)
🇳🇬NITEL Exchanges in Ondo State, in Ido Ani, Akure, Ikole, Ikere, Ifon, Aramoko Ekiti – Design & Supervision (1980-84).
🇳🇬First Bank of Nigeria, Akure – Design G Supervision (1984-85).
🇳🇬Prototype Federal Secretariat (Fola Alade Prototype), Plot 4, Federal Capital Territory – Design & Supervision (1987 till 2012).
🇳🇬Professional and Technical Adviser for the Master Planning the new Nigerian Universities and Higher institutions – Design only (1975-77).
🇳🇬The Master Plan for the National Judicial Institute in Abuja – Design only
THE MAN ISAAC FOLAYAN ALADE
Born on November 24, 1933 at Aramoko- Ekiti, he was the 23rd surviving child of late Chief Daniel Ojo Alade (who was the head of the Eleyinmi Chieftaincy household and Baba Egbe of St Philips Anglican Church in Aramoko Ekiti).
His mother, Eyelori Aina Ogunwenu Alade (the fifth wife of Pa Daniel Alade) hailed from the family of Chief Ologbosere of Oke-Oja) also in Aramoko Ekiti.
He lost his father when he was nine and had to become a “house boy” to his teacher, Canon Lesley Donald Mason, while he was a student in order to earn a living to enable him pay for his secondary school education.
Isaac Fola Alade later emerged one of the four pioneer Architecture graduates produced in West Africa at the then Nigerian College of Arts Science & Technology (now Ahmadu Bello University) Zaria where he studied between 1957 and 1961,
He was married to Princess Eunice Olayemi Alade, an Elementary School Teacher, who she met at Aramoko Ekiti.
He passed away on June 18, 2021.
Source: Architect Fola Alade’s official website.
ℹ️Ethnic African Stories
