Ministry of Finance

The place was so beautiful and safe.

Starting in the late 1970s, the Yugoslav engineering and construction firm Energoprojekt undertook the construction of three major projects in Nigeria. The first of these projects was the creation of the State Ministries Complex for the Nigeria state of Kano, which would be built in the center of the city of Kano. This complex would house the state Ministries of Finance, Information, Environment, Justice, among several others. This sprawling complex was designed by Energoprojekt architects Milica Šterić & Zoran Bojović. Šterić herself was an architect who had been with the company since its inception and who hand selected from university not only Bojović, but many architects such as Dragoljub Bakić and Aleksanadar Kekovi who would go on to design some of Energoprojekt's most iconic works in Africa. The architecture of the Ministries Complex here in Kano would employ many features to combat the intense sun and heat endemic to this region, such as a bright white color to increase sun reflection, as well as lattice screens over south facing windows (which itself was a technique borrowed from local architectural traditions). Furthermore, during an interview, Bojović states that part of his inspiration behind the form of this complex was seeing stacked bags of peanuts (Kano's main exports) as he went on his daily walks with Šterić during their time in Kano working on this project. In addition, this project, as well as many other Energoprojekt efforts in Africa, were created of prefabricated standardized sections, which increased the speed and efficiency of construction. As of present day, the State Ministries Complex continues to operate and exists in a reasonably good state of repair.