There are numerous architectural companies in Nigeria that specialize in building designs for industrial, commercial and public construction. But the services of FMA Architects, Adeniyi Coker Consultancy Limited (ACCL) & A.T. Onajide Architects Limited are in high demand.
Unlike the construction industry that is dominated by the likes of Julius Berger and Cappa & D’Alberto, the structure of architectural industry in Nigeria is such that there are no conspicuous leaders.
Architectural firms like ACCI, ATO and FMA have delivered diverse number of projects in the past, and poised to win more, and this begs the question of the factors behind the huge demand for their services.
Experts are of the view that the huge demand for their services is attributable to major factors such as professional competence, reputation, experience in big and cimplex projects as well as compliance with regulations and this has tangibly widened their clientele base across private and public sectors.
“People go after them because they have executed big projects in the past, and this gives clients confidence about their work”, Babatunde Abiodun, building supervisor at Planet Projects explained to BusinessDay.
A common feature shared by these companies is their large portfolio of past projects of diverse building designs for corporate institutions and government.
The companies have for long been involved in huge projects in Nigeria and Diaspora. For instance, Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, South African Embassy, Sterling Bank Tower, St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, Keystone & Standard Chartered banks head offices are some of the edifices designed by FMA Architects.
“These companies have been in the business for more than three decades and they understand the complexities of building and structural designs,” said Olumide Akinyemi, project manager at Josh Global Limited.
The firms enjoy partnership with strong corporates like United Bank for Africa, Exxon Mobil, Telecom giant, MTN, Standard Chartered Bank, Chevron, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank and Forte Oil among others.
Another competitive advantage they have lies in their collaboration with corporates in foreign countries.
For instance, FMA has executed projects in Botswana and South Africa, collaborates with international firms in United States, United Kingdom and Canada, to mention a few, to implement complex projects.
Also, ATO has the license to practice in United Kingdom and South Africa, and has completed projects in Ghana, Cameroun and four other countries in Africa.
It is believed that large architectural companies like ACCL, ATO and FMA have competent workforce with high level of innovation to deliver world-class designs.
“Of course, large architectural companies are known to have specialists in various types of building designs, and this adds credibility to their services”, said Taiwo Oke, a Lagos-based architect.
Oke added that because these firms ensured high professional standards in their practice was a big selling point for them. The overwhelming patronage for their services is an indication of clients’ confidence in their ability to deliver magnificent designs with high standards.
“I am quite sure that they have the capacity to replicate beautiful designs in first world countries in Nigeria, and this makes them stand out for big projects”, he posited.
ISRAEL ODUBOLA
