Between Decolonisation and Nation Building Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Jane Ezechi University of Westminster London | UK 'Between Decolonisation and Nation Building' explores the role of tropical modernism in expressing Nigeria’s political condition during colonial rule, through to its independence. Initially developed in the late 1940s, tropical modernism was employed to reinforce colonial ideologies of modernisation while concealing exploitation and inequality brought by the British Colonial Administration. Following Nigeria’s independence in 1960, tropical modernism as an architectural style was repurposed as a tool to express nation- building efforts, aligning with the rhetoric of the 1945 Pan-African Congress.Through case studies of the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, John Hinde’s photography of post-independence Nigeria, and the architectural work of Oluwole Olumuyiwa, this thesis examines how tropical modernism was used to reinforce colonial systems of power, and how, after Independence, it was repurposed to project an image of competent governance and control over Nigeria’s postcolonial development.By analysing tropical modernism within its colonial and postcolonial contexts, this thesis reveals the complexities of decolonisation and nation-building. It highlights colonial legacies and continued British presence in Nigeria as limiting factors to sustainable political and economic sovereignty. This research aims to contribute to broader discussions on architecture’s role and limitations in expressing political power and national identity in postcolonial contexts. Tutor(s) Kirti Durelle