Fulfilling any justice system’s responsibilities, including law enforcement and criminal prosecution, is a challenging and complex proposition. Now consider the challenge without the ability to fully utilize most of the available forensic science techniques considered fundamental and commonplace in today’s forensic industry. Multiply that challenge across a populous nation of 150 million: the scope becomes monumental.

Facing this challenge head-on, Crime Lab Design was asked to prepare a facility needs assessment for Lagos, Nigeria as part of the country’s focused effort to improve the use of forensic science to support law enforcement, criminal investigation, and the judicial system of Lagos State. This article will briefly discuss our findings and recommendations for the facilities needed to support the effort.

To understand the goals of the effort to improve the use of forensic science, we met with the leadership of the State of Lagos including the ministries of justice, health, science and technology, and the police to hear their expectations for this project and what they would be able to achieve in the future. Consistently the need for a comprehensive forensic resource was described and defined to include a full service forensics program including a crime lab, forensic medicine, and evidence storage divisions.

Recognizing that to implement a comprehensive forensic science program well-trained staff members are needed, an essential component of the project is a conference and training facility along with housing. The training facility will be a place where staff can learn and share forensic knowledge. It will help facilitate the needs to upgrade procedures, improve organizational structures, provide better training, explore best practices in the industry, and achieve certifications and accreditations. It is important that this foundation be in place to enhance the greater forensic science community as it is expected to serve the goals of the justice system.

During our time in Lagos, it quickly became apparent that electrical power outages aren’t just frequent, they are an expected part of the day and that reliable utility services in general are sparse. A visit to the proposed building site reinforced that an on-site utility plant to generate adequate power, cooling, water supply, and treatment of waste water is a must. Anticipated as part of this project is a self-sufficient utility plant, generating power backed-up with diesel generators and solar photovoltaic collectors, cooling from heat recovery sources, water from a series of wells, recovery and use of captured rain water, and a waste treatment facility managing the disposal of liquid effluents.