Built in the shape of a star, the popular Lugard Hall has a central pavilion with a domed roof. It served as the legislative House of the defunct Northern Nigeria, when Kaduna was the capital of the Northern Region from 1954 to 1967. The Lugard Hall complex was built for the northern legislatures at that time. It is also a replica of the British House of Commons and the House of Lords, making it the third of its kind in the world.
The Lugard Hall was constructed by the British colonial government around 1914. The idea of the hall came as a result of the relocation of the headquarters of Northern Nigeria from Zungeru to Kaduna in 1911. The building’s design was brought by Lord Frederick Lugard who was then Governor of Northern Nigeria.
The historic Lugard Hall is situated at the centre of a circular road in the northern part of Kaduna. It neighbours the Murtala Square by the north. It was constructed with significant resemblance with the typical palaces of northern emirs. In its design, it has decorative motifs and stands at the head of the main street.
It was named after Lord Lugard, who brought the building's design when he moved to Nigeria from India in 1904. Today, the hall which was once a beehive of activities (because it was established for the whole Northern Region), now serves only one of the 20 units that made up the whole north, Kaduna State. It remains a legislative place up till today
Two things are responsible for the end of the glorious days of the Lugard Hall; the splitting of the Northern Region into states and disinterest on the activities of the legislatures by Nigerians.
The Principal Adviser on building matters to the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Mamman Kankia, said the first person to occupy the Hall was Lord Lugard. He said, “Lugard Hall was not built for buying and selling but for meeting. The Arabic inscription at the corner of the Hall was written by me. Majority of the decisions taken on the region were reached there. The centre became less busy when states were created from the region. Before the creation of states in the region, a week will not pass without northerners coming from different parts of the region to meet on how to move the region forward,” he said.
In the same vein, Lugard roundabout got its prominence because the roundabout links the Hall with the Kaduna city centre. Visitors coming from other parts of the north have to pass through the roundabout before entering the Hall. The roundabout, as it is now, is the biggest of all roundabouts in the city of Kaduna. The murals used in decorating the roundabout are another point of attraction for visitors and even residents.
The Lugard Hall complex currently comprises two prominent historical structures - the Lugard Memorial Councils Chamber and the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The Lugard memorial chamber, which was also referred to as the Northern House of Chiefs, is still the venue where Northern emirs have their meetings.
The stone for the construction of the building was laid on the 27th of June 1947 by the late Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Abubakar III. He was assisted by Arthur F. Richard. As soon as it was completed, it served as the meeting place for Northern emirs and also for both the nominated and elected representatives of the northern region before the attainment of independence in 1960.