MAARDECs New Office

MAARDEC achieved a major milestone in its year history, when it moved into its own corporate headquarters in the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos State in February 31, 2009. Work resumed on Monday, 1st March, 2009 at the new offices.

While the offices were not fully ready for occupation, due to the unceremonious circumstances under which we left our old office at Maryland, MAARDEC operated skeletal services from its showroom on the ground floor.

With the compound of the two storey edifice yet to be paved, the building unrepainted, and not enough desks available, MAARDEC still functioned under austere and stuffy conditions; reminiscent of our old office.

With boxes of documents stacked in every possible space, makeshift desks were put up, computers set up and documents partially unpacked from storage cartons.

After about 3 months, this makeshift arrangement gave way to full scale operations as work was gradually completed and staff moved up to the first floor, where all desk were set up and documents unpacked into shelves.

Workshop staff had enough space to operate, unlike the stuffy situation at our old office at Maryland. Workshop staffs were overjoyed to find bathrooms, dedicated for their use – a very handy and refreshing addition after a hard day’s work.

MAARDEC went the extra mile to build a ramp running from the ground floor to the 2nd floor with grab-able hand rails for wheelchair users. This was because the original 2 staircases into the 1st and 2nd floors of the building are too steep and inaccessible for wheelchair users and other clients and visitors with disabilities.

The acquisition of the building was made possible by a bank loan facilitated by Omokas Nigeria limited; a licensed customs clearing and forwarding company owned by MAARDEC President/CEO, Mr. Cosmas Okoli.