Architect Fletcher Rae wins key Africa project
NORTH West architect Fletcher Rae has been appointed to lead a £138m medical manufacturing development in Africa.
The Manchester practice,has been appointed as lead design co-ordinator on the project in Port Harcourt in Nigeria and will manage 26 consultants across the world, as part of a two year project being backed by the World Health Organisation.
The syringe manufacturing facility will be built as part of the River State Government’s drive to significantly reduce the spread of HIV, AIDS and other infectious diseases.
The 500,000 sq ft complex will be built, owned and managed by Integrated Medical Industries – a special purpose vehicle that has been accredited and certified by the WHO. It will eventually employ 2,500 people and will include syringe and water processing plants, together with an energy centre, staff quarters, carton factory and medical store.
Bob Fletcher, managing director of Fletcher Rae, said: “It is a considerable achievement and honour for a Manchester company to be leading the design consortium for this pioneering facility – the largest of its kind in Africa and one that is set to have a fundamental impact on the disease burden affecting the region.
“Nigeria endures a lot of bad press and struggles to transfer significant technology and management skills to people within the region.
“We are delighted to be working directly with the River State Government and Integrated Medical Industries to achieve these objectives and deliver a facility which embraces the highest standards of European design and sustainability, on budget and on time.”
