Home / ANALYSIS / Projects / Nigeria's retail Revolution: MADE IN INDIA

Imagine manufacturing a building. Yes, you read that right. It can be a dream for one and nightmare for another. That’s quite akin to some of the mega projects you would see on TV.

We faced a similar situation in our professional endeavour recently during an ongoing mixed development project called Palm Springs Residences at Lagos in Nigeria. The project needed infusion of retail component to generate foot-falls and scale up its overall prominence. This was just the beginning. The client had signed up the retail outlet with the world’s largest food retail chain SPAR from Europe for franchise across Nigeria.

The brief

The client wanted us to create a unique model building that would be easy to build, quick to replicate and most importantly would have eye catching exterior. VPCPL and other architects involved in the project came up with a design to suit the bill. Well, the client fascinated by the look of the building’s 3D illustration. However, he said that the image could very well adorn our (VPCPL’s) portfolio but it was not feasible to build something of the sort in Nigeria. He had a valid reason for this statement. Basically, there is no facade vendor in Nigeria!

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The jump

It was a challenge and we did not want the design to just adorn our portfolio. So we gave him an idea. We suggested the facade could be built in India and then shipped to Nigeria. Well, it was a wild idea but the client’s reaction was surprisingly positive. “I am OK if VPCPL takes up the ownership of the entire operation,” he said. A few moments of silence followed as we all knew the uphill task was easier said than done.

But VPCPL took up the challenge and asked for a few days to interview like-minded vendors with whom we could carry forward on this journey. Most vendors we met said the task was not only challenging but almost impossible. The precision expected from the project site measurements for such an operation was not easy to achieve in the given conditions of Nigeria. We once again had an uphill task to plug this gap but finally we found a like minded partner.

The rule for carrying out such an operation was simple - Modularity. We went back to the basics of building blocks - LEGO to the children of today. We ensured every panel on the facade was moduled into standard sizes. To resolve the issue of precision with regards to onsite measurements, we created some vitiating end panels to absorb variations. The plans on paper were working well by this time and we were ready to share these with the client for his final go ahead on the approach.

The go ahead

The client liked the plan and the vendor was onboard. Soon, the modalities such as packing, forwarding, freight and so on were lined up and cleared. Never before did we imagine designing a knock-down building to be shipped in containers across continents. But this was getting real. It was also now clear that there would be a minimum 90 day time gap including 60 days of sailing time between the material being out of the factory in India and reaching the site in Nigeria. This was another challenge to match the delivery with the pace of the building coming up on site. As a solution, we accelerated the pre-engineering of site measurements factored in some variations for the production to start ahead of time.

Patient dynamism

Although the entire process now sounds easy it took hundreds of work-hours of flying time across to Nigeria by a technical team who took measurements and verified the buildability onsite. All such projects need a dynamic approach by the client who has vision to see these things happen as a revolution. Thankfully, the client was extremely patient and helpful throughout the process. In fact, most of the times it was the client who became the whistle blower on oncoming issues.

The project was now underway into manufacturing mode in Mumbai and soon to be shipped out to Nigeria. All modalities like shipping line, etc were worked out. (It is challenging when the transport is planned through a ship that sails once a fortnight unlike a truck available at any time). One miss to the schedule puts the entire shipment back by two weeks. Hence it was planned to ship the material container-wise in order of on-site assembly as per the time required for execution. All required components including every aluminium composite panel, glass panels, stainless steel strips were cut-to-size, numbered and packed in crates into containers. Shipping toughened glass cut-to-size was an ordeal; no one wanted to imagine what could come out on the other side if things went wrong.

All is well

But as they say if all is planned well then it goes well. We had the 70,000 sq ft building of Ground + Part of 1st Floor erected and standing with the facade going up in panels and components very quickly. The team that prepared and packed the material in India were the very same hands that installed it in Nigeria. It is important to note that today offshore influence into our country is so immense it may perhaps seem like a dream that our engineering skills are not only actually exported offshore but also stand robust. It speaks for the talent, skills and products that India can provide.

Today, the building is up and has been inaugurated as the first SPAR store in Nigeria with 100 more to roll in the next 12 months. The client has now scaled up the challenge asking us to mass produce standard looking buildings in this model - not just one at a time but 25 at a go!

We are now on the design boards working on the Nigerian Retail Revolution. Perhaps, by the time you are reading this a few more SPAR outlets may have just opened up in the Nigerian lands.