Centre for Skills Excellence, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

About This Project

Working with Dudley College Worldwide, Launchpadd were commissioned by the Nigerian charity Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) to prepare a concept design for a new $300million Further Education College in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

In a country of 200 million inhabitants, 60% live in poverty (on less than $1.90 a day). ESI is a non-governmental organisation that empowers and supports children, women and youth to move themselves out of poverty into an improved status, which includes providing intervention programmes that better their lives and families.

More than half the population of Nigeria are under the age of 18, and the young are seen as a key demographic for change and to move the country into a flourishing economy. Vocational skills training is seen as essential to address major skills shortages in the construction, engineering and the oil and gas industries, much of which is reliant upon restricted and expensive expatriate labour from Europe.

The establishment of the Centre for Skills Excellence Port Harcourt aims to close the gap for local industry skills shortages training upwards of 3,000 learners at any given time, supported by 265 staff – based upon curriculum faculties of:

In addition to vocational training faculties, the site also includes accommodation for 900 students with entertainment hubs, catering outlets, a sports centre, health centre, supermarket, bank, nursery and chapel.

Reflecting and promoting the traditional cultural supremacy of spiritualism, community and family life, the buildings are designed around a series of shaded linked boulevards and aerial walkways springing from a pedestrianised market square.

The community is completely self-contained with its own energy generation and water treatment hubs.

In order to help address the nations scarce electrical resources, the complex of buildings are proposed to be predominantly naturally ventilated, engineered around bioclimatic design principals reducing energy consumption to a minimum.