Professor John Godwin 1928-2023

It’s with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of one of our founders and driving forces behind Legacy, Professor John Godwin. The British architect who came to Nigeria in 1954 was devoted to Nigeria’s built heritage. In 2014 he returned to the UK with his wife Gillian, but remained an active member of Legacy, participating in online meetings and events and always ready to share his first-hand knowledge of decades of history. We are thankful for the role he played in Legacy and he will continue to be an inspiration to our organisation.

William John Gilbert Godwin was born on June 17 1928 in Chalfont St Giles, England. He studied architecture at the Architectural Association, established in 1847, the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK and one of the most prestigious and competitive in the world. John qualified in 1950, and moved to Nigeria in 1954 with his wife Gillian Hopwood, also an architect. After working in Lagos for a firm of architects for 18 months they started their own practice Godwin and Hopwood, which later became Godwin Hopwood Kuye (GHK) in 1989. GHK was responsible for numerous building projects throughout Nigeria, and remains a leading architectural firm. John undertook three trips across the Sahara Desert in 1974, 1977 and 1981. He was made an Officer of the Order of Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in 2002 and had been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978. John served on the board of several organisations including the Lagos Yacht Club and the Nigerian Conservation Fund.

In 1991, along with a few others with a deep interest in protecting Nigeria’s historic built heritage, John led the way in establishing an interest group for the preservation of historic buildings and sites, which eventually became Legacy – The Historical and Environmental Interest Group of Nigeria, and a legal entity in 1995. Serving twice as Legacy President, John was a key driver and inspiration for many of Legacy’s achievements, and with his skilful ability to network and pull like-minded people together to achieve common goals, developed and strengthened the organisation. He took a very active role in organising excursions to historic sites within Lagos State and beyond. John frequently led the historic city Lagos Walkabouts, which became established as a regular early Sunday morning outing to various Lagos Island districts. He undertook significant research on Brazilian architecture in Nigeria and oversaw the measured drawings of a number of important historic buildings in Nigeria. John co-produced the Legacy Map of Historic Sites in Nigeria, published to educate, especially the younger generation, and stimulate interest and concern about historical sites.

In 1998 The Nigeria Railway Corporation handed over, in perpetuity, four sites within the historic Ebute Metta Railway Compound to a joint NRC/Legacy committee. One of the sites was the badly dilapidated Quarter 17, now known as Jaekel House. With previous experience restoring historic buildings, and after the painstaking restoration of Quarter 17, led by John and fully completed in 2010, he can be seen as a pioneer when it comes to the restoration of historic buildings in Nigeria. Jaekel House is now a beautiful internationally recognised landmark destination in Lagos, and an inspiration to others who want to save historic buildings.

A visionary architect, John became a professor in the Architectural Department, the University of Lagos in 1999 and retired from teaching there in 2010. He inspired a whole generation of young architects; many of his former students are now central to the continuity of the work of Legacy. A clear polymath, John’s talents are multifaceted. His exemplary working methods, his positive and meticulous approach towards achieving goals, and contribution to the body of knowledge on architecture and architectural history will serve as an inspirational model for many generations to come. After almost 60 years in Nigeria John’s deep love for the country was unquestioned, and he became a Nigerian citizen in 2011. His personal legacy is enormous, and not just in terms of the treasure trove of valuable documents, and publications he has left, including several books written with Gillian on the architecture and history of Lagos and Nigeria; these publications have become a key source of reference for academic activities. A convivial extrovert, an uncountable number of people and institutions have benefited from John’s lifetime generosity in selflessly sharing his time and knowledge to help others right up until the end.

John is survived by his wife Gillian, his son Tony and daughter Carey.