Anjola Badaru's journey from industrial design to architecture is driven by one central idea: design must solve real human problems using local systems.
Trained in a rigorous five-year industrial design programme, he developed expertise in digital prototyping and systems thinking. His hands-on experience at GE Garage, where he worked with CNC machines, laser cutters and 3D printers, sharpened his ability to turn digital concepts into tangible solutions.
Entrepreneurship expanded that vision. Running a spare-parts manufacturing company for three years exposed him to supply-chain fragility and economic volatility. In response, he reduced raw material import dependence from 100 per cent to 20 per cent by pivoting towards local feedstocks. The move was more than strategic; it became a design philosophy. Resilience, he concluded, lies in localisation -- building with what is available, affordable and culturally grounded.
That philosophy now underpins his architectural focus on West Africa, particularly conflict-affected regions such as Borno State. Rather than relying on imported materials or temporary tents, Badaru advocates earth-based, modular housing systems rooted in ancestral construction methods.
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By integrating stabilised mud panels with digital fabrication and automation, he envisions "dignified quick housing" that can be rapidly deployed yet incrementally upgraded into permanent homes.
His thinking draws inspiration from Ron Garan, whose "overview effect" after viewing Earth from space emphasised shared planetary responsibility. For Badaru, housing insecurity in West Africa is not isolated; it reflects a broader global challenge demanding sustainable, locally adapted solutions.
A scholarship to study 3D Printing Architecture at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona was intended to formalise this integration of vernacular materials and advanced fabrication. Though visa denial deferred the opportunity, the mission endures: to bridge ancestral mud-house heritage with cutting-edge technology, creating scalable, low-cost housing systems that restore dignity and resilience across West Africa.
