The Development of Architecture in Kaduna City, Nigeria, From 1960 to 2020

Abstract

This article defines the relationship between the evolutionary process of the city of Kaduna over the last 50 years and the development of its Architecture. It describes the character of its architecture and identifies the factors responsible for its growth and development, highlighting the contributions made by architects and architectural firms to the development of architecture and the evolution of architectural form. A stratified purposeful sampling approach was chosen to select the target population. The population of interest were professionals in the field of architecture who identified the characteristics of the architecture of Kaduna City and the factors that have affected their perception of the changes in the architecture of Kaduna City. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaire surveys and pictorial surveys were chosen as data collection methods. From the results, the development of the architecture of Kaduna City could be traced to multiple factors: economic indices, government policies, culture and religion. The economic prosperity in the 1980s led to more diversified styles while religious crises created a new conservative elitist where buildings tended to embrace modern elitist characters but with religious inflexions for identity. Culture and religion drove the desire to reflect symbolism and relevance in design. Government policies such as those of urban planning and development control have compelled architects to conform to standards that guarantee minimum quality.