MAIDENEDITION
January - March 2014 www.infrastructurequarterly.com
Lekki - Ikoyi Link Bridge:A mega city compliant bridge
Equipmentworld class brands with a difference
Health & SafetyHealth and Safety in infrastructural development
FinanceConstruction Industry Bank is the needed specialised bank
ProjectsLagos-Ibadan dual carriageway: A leap from the doldrums
CONTENTS
Lekki - Ikoyi Link Bridge 40
The new Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge saves users
20 minutes for a cross over, and five days
of stress per annum. While users spend 23
minutes to get to the other end of the
bridge from Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue,
Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge users spend only
three minutes.
Housing Africa 2013
Unique interiors Exhibition now holds 27th Feb -1st Mar 2014
68 -70. Events
FOCI holds 57th AGM
Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola (JP) – A builder among builders
At the Saddle43.
Luxury Buildings Introduces new Brand
Brands76.
Health and Safety in Infrastructural Development
45 -47. Health & Safety
ISPON affirms commitment to safety
700 MW Zungeru HydroPlant commences operation
6-16. NewsUN World Toilet Day debuts
New bridge to link Rwanda, Tanzania
New Estate AgentsAssociation berths
Works Minister makes case for investment in infrastructure
38-40. TechnologyIs Africa ready and willing to go green?
world dazzling structural designs
Oil & Gas
18-19. PowerNigeria heads for major stride in power sector
Construction bank was registered as infrastructure bank
Housing Finance22.
Projects: What is happening and where
48 -57. Building & Construction
Stakeholders task Govt on Housing
Collapsed Buildings, Our Boot Pains: The Lagos Experience
Ogun State eases stress on title documents, C of O
Builders ponder on Facility Management
Lagos to hand over 200 roads soon
59-60. Roads
FG promises more radical transformation
Proposed Lekki International Airport attracts infrastructural development
Aviation71.
Materials Watch65.
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69
74
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EDITORIAL SUITE
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY
oday marks the birth of Infrastructure Quarterly T(IQ), the newest entrant into the Nigerian media, a brand that is fashioned to seek the joy and comfort of
Nigerians who for long have been yearning for better things that make life worth living. There is no doubt that we are coming into contact with people of sound judgment who would in a short while discover that we are out to inform and educate the people on one common but basic need that is essential to life- infrastructure.
This specialized medium is a product of long time concern on the state of our infrastructure and how to tackle it. Infrastructure is all encompassing covering large-scale public systems. It is all embracing, full scale services and facilities put in by any country, state or even our local council regimes provided for the people they serve. These infrastructure are the basic requirements that are necessary for economic activities to grow. They are the engine rooms that enhance public service, encourage longevity and peace in the land.
The state of the nation's infrastructure no doubt, has given the leaders and the led, the politicians and the apolitical reason for much concern. The lack of adequate infrastructure too has become a major topic for discussion in private and public places. Over a period of time the nation has not fared well in terms of provision of these essentials of life. There has been so much neglect that the little we had in place had become derelict.
We are not alien to the state of the nation's power, water supplies, telecommunications, roads and bridges, schools, public transportation including railways, aviation as well as our maritime services, housing and even health sectors.
This is why we are here. We are here to be your watchdog on infrastructure. The IQ is the one stop shop for you to be abreast with events surrounding the nation's infrastructure. It offers you all you need to know about global infrastructural developments. It opens you up to the world for the promotion of your goods and services where you would be sure to get to the right target audience.
Our promise is to serve your interest. We pledge to redefine infrastructural information to create a healthy environment that will ensure standard and adequate infrastructure would thrive once again in Nigeria.
Editor
Oladapo A. Orelaja
Consulting Editor
Dachi Maduako
General Manager (Operations)
Yewande Banwo (Mrs)
General Manager (Special Projects)
Christy Ibe
Office Manager
Adeyanju Afolabi
Research Analysts
Olamide V. Alabi, Ngozi Jude
Designers/Graphics
Abidemi Lott, Adewole Samuel
Advert Executive
Agozie Uzo Ugwu
Sales & Marketing
Donald Chuku, Faith Duruaku
IT Consultant
Nwokocha J. Prince
Contributing Writers
Prof. Kerry Gardiner, Ojo Temitope
Address
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Support Services.
35, Ibadan Street, Ebute-Metta (East),
Oyingbo, End of Herbert Macaulay
Road, Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +234 (0) 802 305 0678,
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5
Why we are here
NEWS
Dangote re-affirms commitment to cement industry standard
HOME
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY
n reaction to an alarm raised by the ICoalition of Civil Society Groups and Professional Bodies that nearly all of
the cement manufacturers and importers have taken advantage of the lax regulation in the industry to produce substandard products of the lower grade cement (32.5) which has been said to be partly a reason for building collapse, the management of Dangote Cement Plc has refuted the claims stating that Dangote cement has maintained a standard of 42.5 on its cement products.
While speaking with the press, the Director, Sales and Marketing, Dangote Cement, Mr. Ekanem Etim said, 'the company's strict adherence to global best practices and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON's) regulation influenced the production of the 42.5 grade of cement in all of its factories.
Meanwhile, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN) has also contended with the allegations of producing substandard cement products.
Mr. Etim also affirmed on the standard of Dangote's Cement in delivering quality goods to its numerous clients. In his words, 'Dangote cement as a responsible market leader has continued to produce 42.5 grades in its three plants in strict adherence to the stipulations of SON.
Speaking to the media, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Devakumar Edwin debunked the claims made by a cross section of cement manufacturers that the cause of building collapse in Nigeria is not cement quality rather it is the poor use of materials by builders. He however advised that the best way to ensure safety in the construction industry is to insist on 42.5 as the grade to be produced and used in Nigeria. This, he said Dangote Cement is committed to.
Mr. Edwin also intimated the media that Dangote Cement has in the past two years conducted series of trainings and demonstrations to a large number of block-makers across the nation to educate them on how well they can achieve premium results while employing the 42.5 cement grade. He affirmed that this had become the prevalent feature in the company's operation.
He also added that the decision of Dangote's Cement to stick to the production of the 42.5 cement grade was also because the cement grade is stronger and has better qualities, posing higher strength capability.
Ibaka Port to be ready by 2015kwa Ibom State Governor, AGodswill Akpabio and the Managing Director of Nigerian
Ports Authority, Engr. Omar Suleiman have expressed their resolve to ensure that Ibaka Deep sea port in Akwa Ibom state starts receiving ocean lines not later than 2015.
Governor Akpabio and Eng. Suleiman made this disclosure at an event in Abuja recently to mark the official hand over of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the over 5580 Sq meters of land area for the citing of the new port. The governor assured that all the required infrastructure that will aid the fast-tracking of the early completion of the port have been put in place.
The Governor promised to ensure that the contract for the dualisation of the port main access road to link the East –West road will be awarded within a month. The state Government as well handed over the master plan of the port to the Managing Director of NPA at the event.
Akpabio allayed fears of security of investment in the port in view of the menace of the maritime pirates in the Nigerian territorial waters, Akpabio assured that the federal government has granted the state it's request to establish
full military presence in that location. “Now we have NN Jubilee in the area, so with the presence of the Army, Navy, complementing the Marine Police, there will be adequate security of investments as the area will be a no go area for maritime robbers and other criminals.” The Governor envisages that when the multi-billion naira port project is completed, it will be the hub of oil and gas operation in the Gulf of Guinea.
Also speaking, Suleiman appreciated the state government on the move to establish deep sea port, being a major step in the nation's quest of becoming the maritime operation hub both in West and Central African sub-region.
The port is said to be between 17 and 18 meters draught without dredging and its quay area will span over two miles (length). On completion, mega vessels of over 10,000 TEUs will be calling at the port and that will make it the largest in the region.
Reflecting on the journey towards the construction of the Ibaka deep sea port, the governor stated that the construction dates back to the 1970s but the realization of this dream is now possible as Akwa Ibom's dream of becoming the hub port of the sub-region.
OAU commences master
plan reviewn order to review her 53 year old Imaster plan, the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University has
set up a 200 member stakeholders to come up with the review which is expected to update the status of the institution.
The new development is set to improve the physical and academic lives of the students and also provide other infrastructure to enhance livelihood of students and staff of the institution.
In a statement from the Institution's Management, the stakeholders are expected to make contributions to the improvement of the master plan review being undertaken by the institution's consultant Messrs Femi Olomola and Company.
The existing master plan of the university was prepared in 1981 while the first master plan was in 1961 with focus on campus development.
However, the original master plan was reviewed in 1963 and 1969 to increase densi ty and also accommodate infrastructural growth.
The university's existing land is made up of 11,855 hectares of which only 5,605 hectares was used in the first master plan. Thereafter, 6,250 hectares was acquired in 1973 for further development.
The institution's consultant Messrs Femi Olamola and company is expected to state challenges of each department of the institution and further carry out detailed analysis of the physical, social-cultural, economic, engineering and ecological componen ts tha t wi l l enhance development in the university.
T h e D e p u t y Vi c e C h a n c e l l o r (Academics) Prof. Ayobami Salami advised stakeholders to contribute productively to the review to ensure the institution produces an enduring master plan.
7
- Oluwaseun Agbolahan
-Dachi Maduako
-Adaora Nweze
NEWS
UNEC Architecture Students warm
up for ASAFEST 1.0
HOME
Lagos negotiates LCC buy out
the admiralty toll gate, Lekkithe admiralty toll gate, Lekkithe admiralty toll gate, Lekki
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The Department of Architecture Students of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus are warming up for a double pronged programme within the year that would draw them closer to the outside world where they would finally engage in their trade and display the skills they acquired while in school.
Operating under the aegis of Architecture Students Association (ASA) in conjunction with the Department, the event is billed to come up later this year at the Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria. It is first of its kind as it is a deviation from what they used to know.
According to the Association's President, Chika Maduako, there is
nothing new they are doing other than what obtains in the building and construction industry where they belong. He said, “We are trained to be busy people. We have no time for frivolities. This is what the Association believes in, so, buoyed by the Department's insistence on excellence, we go for it. Our aim is to carry the student members along the line and path of excellence so that we can compete favourably with our counterparts elsewhere. We must learn to compete wherever we go especially when we go into the business world.”
Maduako pointed out that the professional body, the Nigerian Institute of Architects has given them enough insight to what is
awaiting them out there through the Archibuilt. We want to host the built environment to enable us interact with them and learn from them.
“By this event, we hope to achieve three things including Conference where we will have lectures and seminars delivered by egg heads cutting across the seven professional bodies in the industry, Exhibition that would attract construction f i r m s , c o n t r a c t i n g f i r m s , manufacturers, equipment dealers, housing corporations, Primary Mortgage Firms, building material firms among others.
The students alongside the department would use the occasion to have a reunion with their senior colleagues who passed through the institution. This third leg of the programme, he said would equally be a learning event when the current s tuden t s wou ld mee t the i r predecessors.
agosians will be the ultimate Lbeneficiaries of the proposed buy
back of the concession given in
2006 by the Lagos State Government to the
LCC for the expansion of the Lekki Epe
Expressway.
According to the State Commissioner for
Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri
Obafemi Hamzat, the plan currently being
negotiated with the company seeks to
ensure that the State Economic Interest is
served.
Responding to media question on the delay
in the introduction of the second toll
recently, the Commissioner explained that
negotiations are still on-going and
appropriate position resulting from the
negotiations will be published.
He noted that part of the issues being
considered is the payment structure
especially given the fact that credits were
obtained by the Company in dollar terms
while toll is being collected in Naira; a
situation which implies that fluctuations in
exchange rate will affect the Company's
remittances and repayment plans.
Dr. Hamzat further said a decision was yet to
be taken by the State Government on the
second toll but that government had so far
resisted any proposal to increase the amount
payable as toll.
He also noted that the various projects of the
State government, especially road projects
are sometimes delayed through resistance
by some people through court actions and
procedures when Federal Agencies are
involved.
Citing the examples of pedestrian bridge at
the Cement Bus Stop, the Ago Palace Way
and Ipaja Ayobo Road, Hamzat explained
that court actions by owners of properties
affected by the project have delayed their
completion. On the Ipaja Ayobo,
Commissioner said obtaining approval for
relocation from NNPC, Federal Ministry of
Works and PHCN all of which had facilities
on the road led to the change.
He also noted that relocation of services in built-up areas often put significant strain on project cost. He added that PHCN's Pylons are difficult to relocate as is the case with the Ayobo road. He assured that the project will surely be delivered soonest.
While also stating that the completion of Ago-Palace Way, Meiran Road and Egbe-LASU Road have been awarded to companies already engaged in their previous phases, Dr. Hamzat assured that the State Government is committed to completing all on-going projects rather than commencing new ones in the current year.
8
- Eric Uzochukwu
- Ogechi Duru
NEWS
Real Estate Unite promises economic growth
(L-R) A foreign delegate, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mike Ojo and Ifeanyi Chuku, Managing Director, BKG at the opening of the 2nd Construction
Fair hosted by NICONEX-SENEXPO
Visitors watching an exhibitor explaining his products
Affordable Housing is possible
-NACCIMA
eal Estate Unite, an event organized
Rto address the advancement of the
real estate sector to foster economic
growth received a warm reception from its
exhibitors and delegates when it drew key
stakeholders to a two day conference and
exhibition at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island,
Lagos.
The tripartite event which featured awards,
conference and exhibi t ion had an
overwhelming attendance of exhibitors,
delegates and visitors. The event was initiated
by 3invest, a commercial real estate company
and was designed to enhance the Nigeria's
Real Estate Industry grow to full maturity.
To address the theme of the event,
“Advancing Nigeria's Real Estate for
Economic Growth”, notable speakers with
keynote addresses from the industry and
allied sectors made presentations to proffer
practicable suggestions. This offered
stakeholders an opportunity to garner
momentum as it as well opened up to the
Nigeria's real estate sector immeasurable
potentials for economic growth.
Exhibitors as well expressed their satisfaction
at the organisation and the quality of the
event's content. Viggo Haremst, an exhibitor
at the event from Denmark who is into
structural designs applauded the efforts of the
event organizers stating that the event though
being infant has shown prospects as it brought
in the best offerings and major stakeholders in
the industry.
Doyinsola Akanle, a procurement officer for
WSP equally expressed her satisfaction at the
success of the event with visitors thronging in
to make enquiries on their products and
services. Beaufort Properties, an estate
development agency from Ghana equally
affirmed that the event, Real Estate Unite has
lived up to its promises.
n E x e c u t i v e
ADirector of the
N i g e r i a n
Association of Chambers of
Commerce, Industry, Mines
a n d A g r i c u l t u r e
(NACCIMA), Mike Ojo has
reiterated his belief in the
possibility of government’s
ambition to make housing
affordable for all.
Ojo who was at the recent
NICONEX fair in Lagos
expressed his joy at the
possible prospects the fair
has.
He emphasized the prospects
exhibitions like this afford
N i g e r i a n s a n d t h e
government varieties of
choices on housing delivery
products. He said, “An expo
like this will help bring
players in the industry to
interact and strike business
deals”.
The event which was opened
by the Executive Director of
NACCIMA had in attendance
stakeholders in the industry
and the allied industries. NACCIMA, he said, had a basic
job of promoting business through corporate policy
advocacies, making sure that the right environment was
in place to make business grow.
He advised that Nigerians should seize the opportunities
this exhibition presents.
Managing Director, BKG Mr. Ifeanyi Chuku organisers
of the fair affirmed that this exhibition opens Nigeria to
opportunities as it does not only bring in foreign
companies to Nigeria but equally showcases Nigeria to
the international community and helps the building
industry to see what is available for the industry.
The event which was well attended had major companies
like Al Rashed & Sons, ESBA Metal Limited, BKG,
Sumec Group from countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia,
China, Turkey, Kuwait, Nigeria and other countries.
CCECC Wins East-West Highway Contract in Nigeria
Ministry of Niger-Delta
Affairs in Nigeria has
awarded the construction
of the section V of A121 East-West
highway to the renowned China Civil
Engineering Construction Company
(CCECC) which is a division of the China
Railway Construction Company (CRCC).
The A121 road upon completion is
designed to connect Nigeria's two main
North-South highways, with its route
running from the A1 highway of
Shagamu in Ogun State to the A2
highway at Benin City, Edo State.
Design and construction of the
highway to a completion is
expected to take five years. The
completion of the highway will
definitely foster trade especially
from the Nigeria's economic
centre, Lagos to the city of
Calabar in the eastern part of the
country.
This highway project wi l l
hopefully as well boost imports
and exports in Nigeria.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY10
- Olamide Alabi
- Olamide Alabi
NEWS
FOCI, Construction Industry
rated high
- Victor Alabi reports
Sen. Gbenga Ashafa
In an attempt to fast track the rehabilitation of
the Lagos- Ibadan dual carriageway contracted
to it by the Federal Government, Julius Berger
Nigeria PLC is set to complete the construction
of a 25-kilometre makeshift road it is
constructing on a section of the road before the
end of January.
The Federal Government of Nigeria had
recently awarded the contract for the
construction of the road to two companies,
Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and Reynolds
Construction Company. Palliative measures are
ongoing on the sections of the road by the two
companies under which the makeshift road is
being undertaken by Julius Berger to ease traffic
during the main construction work.
This was disclosed by a Deputy Director in the
Ministry, Mr Godwin Eke, in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria. He pointed out that
the construction of the makeshift road was to
divert vehicles while work on the main
carriageway would be going on.
He stated that the old road would be completely
scraped to give way for the new project but
added that this would be done in sections. “The
entire road would be milled but it would be
section by section. First, the contractor, Julius
Berger has to plan diversion while working on
the carriageway, what we are doing now is
temporary diversion so that the main work
would start.”
The Director revealed that five kilometres of the
makeshift road had been constructed on the
Ibadan-bound section of the road just as another
five kilometers is being extended. This is
ongoing just as another five kilometres was also
being constructed on the Lagos-bound
carriageway, starting from the Shagamu
Interchange.
Mr Eke explained that a total of 25 kilometres
would be constructed by the end of January but
added that all the constructions were temporary
while the permanent construction would soon
begin on the Lagos-bound section starting from
Shagamu.
He explained that construction of the permanent
road would begin from the Shagamu
Interchange because of high traffic on the Lagos
side.
25km makeshift road coming up on Lagos-Ibadan carriageway
ice Chairman of the Senate
VCommittee on Lands, Housing and
Urban Development, Senator
Gbenga Ashafa has commended the
Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI)
for giving the construction industry in the
country a pride of place as the number one
industry in Nigeria.
He made the commendation at the 57th Annual
General Meeting and Exhibition of the
Federation of Construction Industry at the
Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel & Towers,
Abuja recently.
According to Senator Ashafa, the industry is a
business-driven sector that all should invest in.
He noted that the construction industry opens
opportunities to all and sundry. He said, “It is
an industry that allows 'for-all' profit, as it
permits other professions to benefit from it”.
The lawmaker, represents Lagos East
Senatorial District in the upper legislative
chamber.
He also told the stakeholders at the event that
the legislative chamber has been considering
the Social Housing Bill, which is now at the
second reading stage, and assured that the bill
will definitely be passed, as a reflection of the
Senate's belief that the bill would provide
some solutions to Nigeria's housing problems
as it will include a heavily-subsidized housing
policy.
Senator Ashafa said that his alignment with the
organisation was strategic, and that despite the
low contribution of the construction sector to
the nation's GDP, which currently stands at 3.2
per cent, the industry is still one of the biggest
in Africa and that the geometric increase in the
numbers of the various local and the
international stakeholders, exhibitors and
visitors participating in this year's event
underscored this.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Executive
Secretary of the NBTE, Dr. Masa'udu Adamu
Kazaure, said that the Federation of
Construction Industry (FOCI) was the most
organized industry in the country.
He said that this had made FOCI an industry to
reckon with and as a result it had become a
sector that cannot be neglected by any industry
in Nigeria. He also pressed on the need for
FOCI and other construction bodies under
FOCI to partner with NBTE to aid technical
and vocational development in the built sector.
The FOCI fair had in attendance multi-national
construction companies from Singapore, India,
Turkey and a host of others, including Coleman
Cables, Lafarge, ATC, Julius Berger, Leventis,
Habitas, Vermeer, Westafco, Speedcrafts, JCB,
Dantata & Sawoe, Marazzi and many others.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY11
-Olamide Alabi
NEWS
Lagos – Ibadan Expressway:
Government releases N1.14 bn for
palliative work -Dachi Maduako reports
President Jonathan flanked by the Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolemenmen and Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun at the flagging off point
alliative work has commenced at the
PLagos – Ibadan expressway gulping
N1.14 billion, Federal government
has announced.
M i n i s t e r o f Wo r k s , A r c . M i k e
Onolemenmen who made the disclosure in
Abuja gave a breakdown of the figure
saying the amount is given to the two
construction firms handling the road
construction to bring the road to fair
motorable condition especially on the bad
sections pending when actual rehabilitation
work would commence.
According to him, N620 million was paid to
Julius Berger Nigeria PLC while its
counterpart, RCC was paid N522 million.
The section one of the contract traversing
from Lagos to Shagamu interchange is a six
lane dual carriageway with fly over at the
Redeemed Christian Church of God
junction and has been contracted to Julius
Berger Nigeria PLC while RCC handles the
section two which extends from Shagamu
interchange to Ibadan. This section will
maintain the existing four lanes with the
rehabilitation of six flyovers.
He explained the contents that make road
construction worth the while saying, “The
construction of road depends on the design
of pavement, specifications of materials,
bills of engineering measurements and
evaluations.”
Unique Interiors has promised to
host the biggest interior product
auction in this year's 11th exhibition
themed 'Uniqueness wi th a
Professional Touch'. The disclosure
was made at a press briefing held
recently on the mainland by the
initiator of the exhibition, Mrs.
Debola Majekodunmi.
Majekodunmi disclosed while
speaking with the press that the
initiative came in a bid to give
exhibitors and visitors more than just
a show but a one-stop for both
exhibition and product sale. The
event which is scheduled to hold on
the 27th of February to Saturday 1st
March 2014 serve as a platform to
bring together interior designers,
d e c o r a t o r s , a r c h i t e c t s ,
horticulturists, facility managers,
project managers, architects,
consultants, government officials
and a whole lot of allied industries to
exchange ideas and to as well carve
out ideas that will aid growth in the
industry.
While highlighting the event details,
she assured that the event will
include a symposium that will
address relevant topics in the
industry which will be facilitated by
major bodies in the industry like,
IDAN, IFMA, NIA and as well
exhibitors. She added that the event
will equally afford participants the
opportunity to get relevant interior
products at a 1k shop where such
products will be sold below N2000.
The event which is geared towards
creating a platform where exhibitors,
industry players and consumers can
interact will host over 1500
participants and an excess of over
100 exhibitors.
Unique promises biggest interior auction
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY12
Arc. Onolemenmen also listed some of the
innovations made by the ministry on road
development which he pointed out would
contribute to make Nigerian roads more
durable. These innovations include the use
of Macadam base, bitumen emotion and
polymer bitumen. These, he explained are
used to increase the life span of the country's
roads to between 25 and 40 years. This is
beyond what it used to be. Already these
materials were used in the rehabilitation of
the Benin – Ore road which has been
suffering for a long time due to the perennial
failure of the alignment.
On the Abuja – Lokoja road, the minister
said that he felt that its completion could be
in 2014 given the rate at which work was
going on on the project adding that SURE-P
could also make it easier by assuring the
release of more funds for the project. Other
roads undergoing redesigning are the Baro-
Kachia – Agai road as well as Ikorodu-
Shagamu road.
But on the Second Niger Bridge, he assured
the public that steady efforts were being
made towards its realization.
Senator Ashafa said that his alignment with
the organisation was strategic, and that
despite the low contribution of the
construction sector to the nation's GDP,
which currently stands at 3.2 per cent, the
industry is still one of the biggest in Africa
and that the geometric increase in the
NEWS
CONSTRAD opens avenue for bilateral ties
Govt to facilitate Bills for National Road Fund,
Authority
Visitors watch as an exhibitor explains his products
Visitors making enquiries at an exhibitor’s stand An exhibitor answering visitors
takeholders in the construction industry
Swere recently drawn to Lagos by
Constrad to harness the excellent
opportunities it offered through the international
fair and expo it organised to meet with key
players in the industry.
The expo which served as a platform for
establishing bi-lateral ties featured products and
services presentations by exhibiting companies
in addressing needs of end-users. Seminars on
Dry Construction Methods and a host of others
were lecture packages made available for both the
stakeholders and the exhibitors, exploring
solutions and the standards that the industry
currently offers.
The 3-day event which was also designed to help
influence sales has found its foot in international
trade show & expo even at its infancy. Holding
for the second time in Nigeria, the team which is
chaired by three women-professionals in
Architecture, Yinka Williams, Emmanuella Ben-
Eboh and Abimbola Ajayi expressed joy on the
grounds the event is gaining.
Mrs Abimbola Ajayi however stressed on the
need to have more exhibitors in 2014 as this event
helps a lot in getting good returns on investment.
he isse of creation of a National Road
TFund as well as the Federal Road
Authority in Nigeria which have been in
the drawing board over decades seem to be
making a final descent for landing.
The Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolemenmen
hinted this saying that his ministry was liaising
with the Federal Ministry of Justice to facilitate
the process of passing the draft bills into law
without delay. This according to him is to pave
way for private sector investors for rapid
development of the sector.
The minister gave this indication at the the just
concluded 20th Council on Works meeting held
at the Kwara State capital, Ilorin.
The theme of the National Council on Works was
“Transforming the road sector for sustainable
economic development”. The Council
recommended that the road sector should be
transformed in line with the transformation
agenda of the present administration. It also
commended the ministry of works for ensuring an
overhaul of existing frameworks with an aim of
transforming the road sector in the country.
Arc. Onolemenmen urged both the federal and
their state counterparts to collaborate on allowing
Information and Communication Technology
Services Providers (ICTSPs) with the approval of
Federal Ministry of Works to lay cables within
federal roads to avoid double levy on federal
roads. This will also ensure unhindered access to
ICTSPs. This is also in accordance with the
guidelines issued by the works ministry in
conjunction with the Ministry of Communication
Technology.
He urged both federal and state governments to
provide adequate funds in their budgets annually
for the purpose of routine, periodic and
preventive maintenance of all categories of roads.
This is to ensure that the roads attain their design
life span for maximum contribution to the
economic development of the country.
The minister also urged all tiers of government to
carry out inventory of their road networks and
gazette them while approving the compliance by
both federal and state ministries of works and
their agencies with the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) Act 86 of 1992 as well as the
National Environmental Standards and
Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
ACT 2997 on Environmental Audit Guildlines.
The Council adopted the new policy on
performance management for Federal highway
projects which requires the inclusion of only
protected permanent works on interim
certificates for payment and urged state
governments to take cue by introducing the same
policy for effective management of road projects
in order to get value for money.
FG initiates engineering infrastructure for Wasa district Abuja
he Nigerian Federal Executive TCouncil (FEC) has approved the provision of an engineering
infrastructure in Wasa district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The infrastructure which was carefully planned to be situated in the new district is in line with government 's policy of expanding opportunities for legal structures away from the city centre in order to depopulate the city.Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Olajumoke Akinjide disclosed that the N28.11 billion contract for the provision of engineering infrastructure was awarded to Gilmor Engineering Company, which will include site clearance, sewage, water supply, electrical supply and street lighting, among other services for the 267-hectare district.
She said: "The project is in line with the establishment of FCT Satellite Development Agency whose mandate is to provide infrastructural facilities and social amenities to satellite towns and rural areas of the FCT. In addition, the project, upon completion, will generate employment for at least 30 professionals, 50 technicians and 100 unskilled labourers."After deliberations, council approved the award of the contract for the provision of engineering infrastructure to Wasa Affordable Housing Site in favour of Messrs Gilmor Engineering Nigeria Limited in the sum of N28,117,904,027 only with a
completion period of 48 months."
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY14
- Asirvo Olaoluwa
-Dachi Maduako reports
NEWS
Liberia, Equatorial Guinea hold talks on social housing
Ellen Johnson SirleafEllen Johnson SirleafEllen Johnson Sirleaf
Teodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoTeodoro Obiang Nguema MbasogoTeodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Ghana: Execute Projects to Specifications - Minister warns contractors
Continued on page 13
iberia and Equatorial Guinea made
Lgood their bilateral promises to seal
their sisterly relationship with projects
that will benefit the people. This became real
when an Equatorial Guinea delegation met with
Sirleaf to present a proposal for the construction
of housing units in Liberia.
The delegation was in Monrovia to present to the
Liberian Government the concept for the
construction of social housing units, as part of a
Memorandum of Understanding signed between
the two governments in May last year. At the
request of the Liberian Government, Equatorial
Guinea agreed to arrange the financing and
construction of the Roberts International Airport
and of social housing.
At the presentation, the Liberian President said
she was impressed with the progress made so far,
and was pleased with her decision to enter into
agreement with Equatorial Guinea, and
described it as an example for African countries
to follow where one African country will fund
such a huge project in another sisterly country.
In an Executive Mansion release from the
Liberian Government, President Sirleaf said she
was delighted entering into such a bilateral
relationship that was producing such outcome
which would be to the benefit of her country and
people.
President Sirleaf was speaking in response to a
message of commitment to the project from
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo,
delivered by his Special Advisor on Ceremonial
Issues Mr. Armando Dougan Champion. The
delegation on a follow-up mission, met with her
at her Foreign Ministry Office.
Making the presentation, Mr. Champion said
Equatorial Guinea was pleased and committed to
the construction of the Roberts International
Airport and the social housing units. On the
airport, he said the architectural designs were
still ongoing, and promised to inform Monrovia
as soon as they are finalized.
The housing units project he noted was well on
course, Mr. Champion said, construction would
begin following the finalization of the
formalities. Displaying the concept of the units,
he listed such facilities as a police station,
primary and secondary schools, a church, a car
park, a shopping mall and a two-storey hospital
which he said would be named in President
Sirleaf's honor.
Mr. Champion promised to convey to his
President the high level of cooperation and
eagerness from the Government and people of
Liberia in getting the projects started. The
delegation made a detailed concept presentation
before officials of the Ministry of Public Works
and the National Housing Authority.
Accompanying Mr. Champion was Mr. Ibrahim
Mabrouk, Managing Director of Arab
Contractors, who disclosed that the company
was ready to jump-start the project in terms of
manpower and equipment, and was awaiting a
signal from the two governments. He said his
company had begun identifying a suitable site for
the construction using satellite pictures, and
would share that information as soon as the
search was completed.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji
Amidu Sulemana, has admonished contractors to
always ensure that contracts awarded them are
executed to specifications to ensure value for
money.
He expressed concern over the undue delay in the
execution of contracts and the shoddy nature of
some of the works, for which he blamed some
supervising engineers for failing to live up to
their responsibilities of ensuring the delivery of
quality work.
Alhaji Sulemana, who emphasised the need for
the timely and efficient execution of projects,
further observed that "there are no bad
contractors; there are only bad engineers.”
The minister was speaking during an inspection
tour of the Dipali irrigation project in the
Savelugu/Nanton District in the Northern Region
at the weekend. The project forms part of the 21
irrigation schemes being constructed in some
parts of the country.
The project is being undertaken by the Northern
Rural Growth Programme (NRGP). The
programme is an eight-year agricultural initiative
that was inaugurated in 2009 by the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
It aims at reducing poverty and ensuring food
security among rural households in the Northern,
Upper East and Upper West regions, as well as
five other districts in the Brong Ahafo region.
The African Development Bank (AfDB),
International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD) and the Government of Ghana are co-
financing the programme.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Clement
Humado, said the project was in line with the
policy of the government in helping to improve
on the lot of rural farmers in beneficiary
communities in the country.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY16
-Ngozi Jude
NEWS
Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire partner on rail link
REGIONAL
Ghana to commence Reconstruction
of Railways The Minister of Roads and Highways,
Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, has admonished
contractors to always ensure that contracts
awarded them are executed to specifications
to ensure value for money.
He expressed concern over the undue delay
in the execution of contracts and the shoddy
nature of some of the works, for which he
blamed some supervising engineers for
failing to live up to their responsibilities of
ensuring the delivery of quality work.
Alhaji Sulemana, who emphasised the need
for the timely and efficient execution of
projects, further observed that "there are no
bad contractors; there are only bad
engineers.”
The minister was speaking during an
inspection tour of the Dipali irrigation
project in the Savelugu/Nanton District in
the Northern Region at the weekend. The
project forms part of the 21 irrigation
schemes being constructed in some parts of
the country.
The project is being undertaken by the
Northern Rural Growth Programme
(NRGP). The programme is an eight-year
agricultural initiative that was inaugurated
in 2009 by the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture (MoFA).
-Minister warns contractors
Contd. from page 12
he Economic Community of West
TAfrican States (ECOWAS) has set the
end of 2013 or early 2014 for
construction work to begin on the Lagos-Abidjan
highway which is expected to link its member
states.
It is expected that the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor
will stimulate the free movement of goods,
services and persons and also alleviate poverty,
boost regional integration as well as improving
the living conditions of West Africans.
While speaking in one of his visits to Cote
d'lvoire, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria
made this disclosure and said that the
construction of Lagos to Abidjan express way
would commence early 2014.
Jonathan stated that leaders of Nigeria, Togo,
Benin, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana met on the
sideline of the 42nd ECOWAS Summit in
Yamoussoukro on how to actualise the project.
The President who spoke at the Nigeria, Cote
d'Ivoire Investors Forum on the sideline of his
state visit to that country, explained that the
construction of the road was imperative to
enhance free movement of goods and persons and
reduce the encumbrances currently posed by the
local customs and Police to business men.
“We believe that when we have this express road
the issue of movement interference by Customs
and Police will be minimized because that will be
an ECOWAS road.
“The laws regulating the use of the road will not
be the laws regulating that of the roads in Nigeria,
Cote d'Ivoire or Ghana. It will be an international
standard and everything will be done in such a
way that movement of goods services and so on
will not be interfered with by local restriction”,
Jonathan said.
According to him, the road project would not be
financed with public funds but by development
partners and some viable banks which would
recover their fund through tariffs and toll fees.
“It is a viable project that banks and business men
within and outside the region will key into and
which will generate enough money in short time.
resident John Dramani Mahama of
PG h a n a h a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t
reconstruction of the railway system in
the country would begin this year.
He said the reconstruction would target mainly
the Eastern and Western corridors rail lines.
The Eastern line, according to the President,
will particularly be tied in with the Boankra
Inland Port, which is supposed to serve the
middle belt, the northern parts of the country as
well as Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
Ghana's rail system was currently in a mess and
as of now, about 90 to 95 per cent of all cargo
internally was carried by road.
Addressing a press conference at the Flagstaff
House today to mark his one year in office,
President Mahama said the situation was not
acceptable.
He noted that for any country that intended to
develop, the railways was very important and
"we cannot continue to carry all cargo by road".
"It is my hope that this year we cut sod for the
beginning of the reconstruction of the railways
in this country".
The President maintained that it was difficult to
enforce the load limit on the roads because
people have to convey containers.
"... if you have to convey containers and there is
a machine in the container that is heavier than
the load limit, are you going to cut the machine
in half and put half aside, you cannot do that.
And so when these cargoes are carried on the
roads they destroy the roads.”
The President said the main railways being
targeted were the Western and Eastern corridor
rail lines.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY17
- Ibukun Taylor
- Adaora Nweze
NEWS
Kenya new railway, connects East African countries
CONTINENTAL
Angola to Build 90 Houses in 2014
auritius island which
Msits in the Indian
Ocean around 2000km
off South-East Africa's coast will be
experiencing ser ies of road
improvemen t s a s t he Road
Decongestion Programme which
was put forward in the 2009 as a plan
to tackle the country's traffic problem
with Public Private Partnership has
commenced earnestly.
The Road Development Authority
initially identified the Ring Road and
the Harbour Bridge as potential
projects to be considered, while
upgrades will be carried out on M1
and M2 roads and the Terve Rouge-
Verdun Link roads, to reduce
congestion in lower Plaines
Wilherus. The projects will be
costing around US$1 billion.
Commencement on these projects
started 2010 and is due for
completion in 2015
Mauritius expands road links
huru Kenyatta, Kenya's president
Uannounced recently that the country
will be constructing her biggest
infrastructure project since independence 50
years ago.
The project which will be due for commissioning
in 2017 was agreed upon by the Kenyan president
and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in
Beijing, China. The first section of the project
will cost $5.2bn (£3.2bn), and link the Kenyan
port of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi, thus,
reducing the journey time from 15 hours to about
four hours has been awarded to China Road and
Bridge Corporation (CRBC). It is hoped that the
railway will reduce congestion in Mombasa, one
of Africa's busiest ports.
At the signing, President Kenyatta stated, 'what
we are doing here today will most definitely
transform... not only Kenya but the whole eastern
African region'.
After the Nairobi section is finished, it will as
well be extended through Uganda, with branch
lines west to Kisangani in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, south through Rwanda to
Burundi and north to South Sudan.
President Kenyatta reassured Kenyans that the
project is an historic milestone for Kenya stating
that the project will as well define his legacy as
Kenyan president.
he Governor of the northern Kwanza
TNorte province in Angola, Henrique
André Júnior has announced in
Ndalatando city the construction in 2014 of 90
low-income residences and the conclusion of 500
social houses under execution in the region.
Speaking to the press, Henrique Júnior said that
the construction works are being executed under
the integrated programmes for rural development
and fight against hunger and poverty.
Regarding the health infrastructures, the
governor said that his province has been
projecting the rehabilitation and expansion of the
municipal hospital of Kambambe, construction
of municipal hospital of Samba Cajú, building of
five health posts and construction of 10 new
water abstraction treatment and supply systems.
He said that Kwanza Norte government also
expects to rehabilitate in 2014, 170 kilometres of
the local tertiary roads, aiming to reinforce the
peasants' activity in transporting their
agricultural production from the countryside to
the towns
According to him, the government also intends to
improve the power supply system to the towns of
Ndalatando and Dondo, construction of new line
of power supply to Kiculungo locality.
Kwanza Norte is a province of Angola.
Ndalatando is the capital and it has an area of
24,110 km² and a population of approximately
400,000. The province has a population of about
5000, with just 18,000 living in urban areas.
Egypt votes EGP 10 Billion for 150.000 Housing Units
g y p t M i n i s t e r o f L o c a l
EDevelopment, Adel Labib said that
the government has taken practical
steps to face the housing crisis in that
country.
Labib pointed out that the Armed Forces
were currently constructing 100.000
housing units in various governorates. He
added that 18 governorates have finalized
allocating lands required for the
construction of 50.000 housing units with a
total cost of EGP 10.5 billion.
The Minister stressed that implementation
of the national project to end unemployment
will be applied within 45 days. He explained
that this project is expected to provide
nearly one million job opportunities.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY19
- Rachael Abodunde
- Ngozi Jude
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY
UN-Habitat to partner with Kenya in proposed Machakos City
Kenya has invited the UN-Habitat to be one of the partners that have been invited to participate in the development of the proposed Machakos City. Machakos City when completed will be the first ever urban centre in Kenya to be built from scratch. At a meeting recently to discuss the issue with the agency's Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, the Governor of Machakos County Mr. Alfred Mutua said he was hoping to tap into UN-Habitat's comparative advantage in managing
sustainable urbanisation even as he embarks on the ambitious project. “I am pleased to note that we are inviting UN-Habitat to be part of the team that will design the new Machakos City and with them on board I am sure we will be able to move quite effectively,” the Governor said. Kenya adopted a new constitution in 2010 which saw the government adopt devolution. Albeit many teething problems, the general view in the country is that the 47 counties stood a better chance of bringing quality services to the populace. Mr. Mutua promised the residents of Machakos and Kenyans in general that his gubernatorial term would help uplift the living standards of the people. “We are going to deliver a world class city and also ensure that we maintain a sustainable urbanisation,” he said.
According to the Governor, the assurance by Dr. Clos of his personal involvement in the project was welcome. “Dr. Clos has been the mayor of Barcelona one of the world's
largest cities and we hope to learn very much from him even as we embark on this project,” he said.In his speech, Dr. Clos hailed Mr. Mutua saying the latter embodied the new face of young and knowledgeable politicians. “He is part of a new breed of politicians who have shown commitment to service delivery to their people,” he said adding that he admired the Governor's vision for his county.Saying that urbanisation could be looked at both positively and negatively, the Executive Director said that Mr. Mutua was opening a new era of urban development. He said with land readily available, Machakos County had the potential of rapid growth.“UN-Habitat is committed to helping the Governor achieve his vision as well as speeding the growth of Kenya in general,”
he said.
UN World Toilet Day debuts
nited Nations with her 193-
Umember nations celebrated the
first 'World Toilet Day' last
November. The 'World Toilet Day', which
held on the 19th of November, was the first
of its kind in the history of the United
Nations.
The resolution for a world toilet day was
made after a member-nation, Singapore,
initiated it at the UN General Assembly
Meeting. This resolution was co-sponsored
by 121 member states, seeing the need to
give better attention to the global sanitation
problem, hence the need for the
commemoration of a 'World Toilet Day'.
M a r k N e o , d e p u t y p e r m a n e n t
representative of Singapore to the United
Nations affirmed while answering a
question on the reason why sanitation has
remained a neglected goal in the U.N.'s
development agenda said 'Although
sanitation was not originally in the
Millennium Developmental Goals
(MDGs), it was agreed upon in the 2002
Rio+10 Conference in Johannesburg, for
inclusion.' Stating further, he said, 'More
importantly, sanitation is not just about
toilets and infrastructure, it is about social
and behavioural changes which cannot be
achieved overnight and will take time'.
Nigerian-American citizen, Ms Shola Olatoye was recently announced as the new Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority. The appointment which was disclosed by Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York is an appointment she deserves. According to NAN's North America's correspondent, Olatoye was prior to her appointment the Vice President and market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Olatoye has served as a deputy director and director of relationship management, leading production efforts and helping to develop new products and solutions and as well originating new business and overseeing relationship management for Enterprise's many partners in New York. Olatoye also oversaw a cross-functional team of approximately 50, as they worked with community partners, the public sector and private capital sources to build and preserve approximately 3,000 affordable homes per year.
She equally managed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) programme of lending, investment and service in low-and moderate-income communities in Washington D.C., and South Florida while serving as vice president and senior community development manager HSBC Bank USA, N.A.
Her practice which urban neighbourhood revitalisation, real estate advisory services, park finance and strategic planning have all served as a fulcrum for her appointment.
Olatoye also served as the issues director for New York City public advocate for former Democratic mayoral nominee, Mark Green spending five years in New York as an advocate and policy analyst for urban school finance reform.Olatoye received her bachelor's degree in history with honours from Wesleyan University and her Master of Public Administration from New York University. (NAN)
Nigerian New York City Housing Chairman
emerges
20
-Ogechi Duru
- Victor Obinna
NEWS
kar Landscaping &
AA g r i c u l t u r a l
C o m p a n y h a s
declared that it is to begin work
on the second phase of its new
Miracle Garden project in
Dubailand, with work expected
to complete in October.
The pull, which only opened in
February, has already attracted
more than 400,000 visitors and
Akar Landscaping hopes that
the second phase containing a
further 721,000 ft2 of space -
including a butterfly garden,
and the largest vertical garden in
the world - will boost numbers
further. There will also be an
edible plants garden where
visitors can pick their own fruits
and vegetables.
The Butterfly Garden will
contain around 10,000 live
butterflies - all of which have
been bred in the UAE
Dubai plans world largest vertical garden
UK now most attractive infrastructure
investment destination
io de Janeiro has
Rfurthered its plans of
mak ing Braz i l a
tourist site as it sets to host the
2 0 1 6 O l y m p i c G a m e s .
Currently, excavation work is
underway in Brazil for the
Transolimpica tunnel which
will create room for easy access
to the city for over 55,000
vehicles per day.
The 23km route is designed to
connect both Deodoro and
Barra da Tijuca in Rio de
Janeiro. The construction work
which is expected to be
completed by December 2015
will span a period of 18 months.
This project is expected to serve
over 100,000 passengers and
help with cutting travel time by
two hours. It will as well
include a BRT lane with 18
stations.
Brazil Transolimpica tunnel to link Rio de Janeiro
Singapore, Malaysia to build rail link
INTERNATIONAL
he United Kingdom has
Tbeen ranked as the world's
most attractive country for
infrastructure investment by an
international law firm, Nabarro.
The brand's latest infrastructure
index positions the nation ahead of
a 20-study table of countries from
five key world regions but the
report warns that government
austerity remains a significant
barrier.
The ranking which was premised
on factors including the tax
environment, availability of credit,
legal environment, simplicity of
doing business, and current activity
in the infrastructure market also
c o n s i d e r e d e n v i r o n m e n t a l
p e r f o r m a n c e , e c o l o g i c a l
sustainability and innovation.
Other countries that made the list
are Australia (2nd), France
(3rd), the United States (4th)
and Germany (5th).
UK also emerged tops in sub-index rank ing na t ions ' sustainability and innovation, and was second only to the United States in a ranking based on ease of doing business.
But Nabarro said that despite the
positive stance the coalition
government's “openly austere”
standpoint was a “significant
barrier” to those looking to
invest, and that recent policy
initiatives needed to be fully
implemented for investors to take
advantage of the nation's
“favourable environment”.
ingapore and Malaysia
Srecently announced plans to
build a high-speed rail link,
fuelling hopes that Southeast Asia
could one day enjoy a rapid
European-style t rain system
connected to China. This, they hope
to achieve by the year 2020.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and
his Malaysian counterpart Najib
Razak hailed the project, which
would cut travel time between the
city-state and Kuala Lumpur to 90
minutes.
"This is a strategic development in
bi lateral relat ions that wil l
d r a m a t i c a l l y i m p r o v e t h e
connectivity between Malaysia and
Singapore," the leaders said in a joint
statement issued after meeting in
Singapore.
"It will facilitate seamless travel
between Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore, enhance business
linkages and bring the people of
Malaysia and Singapore closer
together.”
No cost estimate was given for the
construction of the new rail link.
The existing rail link between the
two countries dates back to the
period of British colonial rule over
both, with stops at several Malaysian
towns. The current Singapore-Kuala
Lumpur service takes more than
seven hours.
The 90-minute travel time for the
new train compares with four hours
b y c a r, i n c l u d i n g c l e a r i n g
immigration, and five hours by bus,
while a flight takes less than an hour,
not taking into account the time
taken to check in, pass immigration
and pick up luggage.
Both countries belong to the 10-
member Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), which
hopes to one day link most member-
states by rail and extend the
connection to China and possibly
India.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak (L) shakes hands with Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (R)
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY21
- Ngozi Jude
-Victor Chuku
POWER
Nigeria heads for major stride in power sector-Dachi Maduako reports
POWER & ENERGY
t was a major stride in the annals of
INigria as government handed over 14
electricity generating and distribution
facilities to private investors all over the
country simultaneously on Friday
November 1, 2013, to end up the Power
Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)
dominance of the sector.
The handing over to new investors had
before now faced a lot of hurdles and even
threats to throw the nation into total
darkness a threat that was almost coming to
fruition as old PHCN staff were up with
arms to down tools and stop the ceremony
as they insisted that their severance money
be paid them. They were equally right as a
labourer is worthy of his wages. They were
right more as Nigeria is a nation where
senior citizens die on the queue while
waiting to be paid their pension. Some
others go home to wait for years without
end to be paid their gratuities. But try they
did, good diplomacy backed by tangible
evidence to show that their money was
ready to be paid them, good reason
prevailed and the hand over was done in a
peaceful atmosphere.
The efforts of government on the electricity
sector with power plants being constructed
in different parts of the country has been
highly acclaimed as a major stride by the
administration that will translate the
fortunes of this country and bring it back to
the comity of great economies of the world
as electricity will make our production
engines roll and grumble again. Indeed, this
is a plus.
President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier in
September handed over operating licences
to the investors for many of the companies
after they had paid about $2.5 billion. By
this, the country will retain ownership of the
national grid, but the privatization will only
affect the management. Already, Canada's
Manitoba Hydro International has been
named as its manager for three years in
2012.
The President had then raised hopes that the
new effort would generate for the country
not only power but income of up to $40
billion within the next 10 years. Such
companies coming include
China Power whom he said had invested
over 20,000 megawatts of power and
General Electric co-investing another
10,000 megawatts of power. These are not
all as the president hinted that another
company, the Electrovatts from Brazil is
also co-investing.
Already, Federal Government has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with the
General Electric who would invest $1
billion dollars to build turbine assembly
plant in the country. The plant is located at
Calabar, Cross River State.
The privatization exercise of PHCN has on
one swoop created 18 successor firms made
up of 11 electricity distribution, six power
generat ion and one t ransmission
companies. Out of this number, 14
beneficiary investors were handed over
these facilities last Friday. The companies
included the Korea Electric Power
Corporation, Abuja (power) Distribution
Company to its new owner, Kann
Consortium Utility Company Limited. Eko
Distribution Company which before now
had been the country's biggest distribution
company was handed over to West Power
and Gas Limited in a ceremony that took
place in Marina, Lagos. Distribution
Company went to NEDC/KEPCO
Consortium.
Jos Distribution Company went to Aura
Energy Limited, Kano Distribution
Company was handed over to Sahelian
Power SPV Ltd, and Yola distribution
Company went to Integrated Energy
Distribution & Marketing Ltd.
The Generation Companies also handed
over were Shiroro that went to North-South
Power Company, Kainji to Mainstream
Energy Solutions Ltd while Geregu was
handed over to Amperion Power
Distribution and Ughelli to Transcorp
Ughelli Power Plc. Also, the Benin
Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC)
went to Vigeo Power Limited just as the
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company
was also handed over to the Integrated
Energy Distribution and Marketing
Limited.
The Interstate Electrics Ltd. took over
Enugu Electricity Distribution Company
(EEDC) while In Port Harcourt, the 4Power
Consortium Ltd. was handed over the Port
Harcourt Distribution Company (PHED).
Speaking at the occasion, the Power
minister, Prof Chinedu Nebo finally
announced the ceasation of Power Holding
Company of Nigeria while distribution,
generation and transmission companies
now take over the operations. It would be
recalled that the transition of the power
sector has been on for the past 14 years.
Minister Of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo presenting some documents to the chairman of the new owners of former Abuja (power) Distribution Company, now owned by Kann Consortium Utility Company Limited.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY23
POWER
Zungeru Hydro Plant commences
operation
ajor players in the power Msector across the globe
swooped on the Nigerian
market when Informa Energy Group
hosted a three day fair code named
Informa Exhibitions.
The event which took place at the Eko
Hotel and Suites in Lagos brought in
different new suitors who swooped on
the new bride in the power and energy
world- Nigeria to seek for business
opportunities yearning for investors.
It provided a platform for the Nigerian
local energy industry to meet leading
international and local suppliers who
came from China, India, United
Kingdom, United States, the Asian
Tigers among others. The exhibition
also showcased an esteemed panel of
experts in the industry in a series of
f r e e - t o - a t t e n d s e m i n a r s w h o
highlighted latest developments in the
energy sector and equally addressed the
key energy issues Nigeria is facing.
While speaking with one of the
exhibitors Mr. K. Kasirajan, he
expressed his elation to have been part
of the event that promised to offer
solution to power problem in Nigeria
which equally availed him the
opportunity to create new markets for
his company's products.
The event which was supported by the
Nigerian Association for Energy
Economics and The Foundation for The
Development of Africa had major
players in the power industry from
Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Turkey,
United Arab Emirates, United
Kingdom exhibiting.
Power sector investors swoop on
Nigerian market-Olumide Adeniyi
POWER & ENERGY
ork to construct a 700
Wm e g a w a t t s ( M W )
hydroelectric power plant in
Zungeru, Niger State is to commence with
immediate effect. The construction of the
project will be executed by Chinese
c o n g l o m e r a t e , C N E E C - S i n o h y d r o
Consortium.
Chief representative of the consortium in
Nigeria, Ju Shiquan, who spoke to reporters
during a press conference in Abuja, said
procedures for the smooth take-off of work at
the hydro plant have been completed.
The Minister of State for Power, Hajia
Zainab Kuchi, at the contract signing
ceremony for the project, noted that terms
of the contract stipulates that Nigeria will
p rov ide i t s counte rpar t funding
contribution of about $309 million. The
fund, she stated, is already domiciled
within the ministry of power.
Total funding outlay for the project will be
provided by the Federal Government and
Exim Bank of China on the ratio 25:75
contribution capacity respectively, she
added, and the project is scheduled to be
completed within five years.
It will be recalled that the project was
initiated in 1982 when its feasibility studies
were originally conducted and proposed to
the government by a United States firm, Chas
T. Main International. It was later appraised
in 2008 by French firm, Coyne et Bellier. The
Zungeru hydroelectric power plant project is
e x p e c t e d t o c o s t a b o u t
N162,990,364,379.30. When finished, it will
boost the country's total generated electricity.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY25
- Mark Onuchi
COVER
A Mega city compliant bridgeLEKKI-IKOYI LINK BRIDGE:
From left: Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch, MD, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc; Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for
Works and Infrastucture; Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Deputy Governor of Lagos State;
Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Oba Riliwan Akiolu, Oba of Lagos; Mrs. Abimbola Fashola,
First Lady of Lagos State and Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
during the commissioning of Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.
- Dachi Maduako & Alabi Victor report
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Nigeria made its way into the annals of construction
history on the West Coast of Africa as its former seat of
government, Lagos, handed down a Cable Stayed
Bridge at one of its high brow locations where traffic
had once held sway to pave way for faster movements
in and out of Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah and Ikoyi as
well. The Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge came at the time it
was most needed as the tolled Ozumba Mbadiwe
Avenue traffic was becoming very unbearable for
commuters on that route since it happened to be the
major access road.
It came in to ease the movement of people, goods and
moreover improve the working environment as
movement goes a long way to determine how much
productive the people would be.
It came at a time when Lagos is still preparing hard to
make the mega city status. Lagos had already been
listed as having the capabilities of assuming the Mega
city status considering its swelling population which is
unofficially put at 18 million. However, to show its
readiness to assume this status, it has to do whatever is
required to attain it. A major requirement is the
provision of infrastructure. It is gradually attaining the
status by the kind of infrastructure it is providing for its
teeming populace. The Lekki – Ikoyi link Bridge which
the state embarked on to cut off the harrowing
experience that the normal route, Ozumba Madiwe
Victoria Island where people used to spend long time as
a daily routine is an achievement in grand style.
The cable stayed bridge going by its features is an
infrastructure that is equally tailored towards the
status of its location. To live facing Five Cowrie
Creek whether from the Ikoyi end or the Lekki side
is highly reserved area. The bridge empties into the
high brow Lekki Phase One estate while the Ikoyi
end empties into adjoining streets such as Alexander
Avenue and Ruxton Road. It is this Five Cowrie
Creek that separates Ikoyi from Victoria Island,
Lekki and others. But what the waters separated, the
cable stayed bridge now unites.
Conceived in 2008 by the Raji Fashola
administration, the bridge was contracted out to the
construction giants Julius Berger Nigeria PLC in
October 2009, at a whooping cost of N29 billion, an
equivalent of US$185 million. The governor, a
lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has
been acclaimed for his government's efforts towards
provision of infrastructure in the state. So, it was not
a surprise to many when the cable stayed bridge
came up.
So, for him, it is not just for its iconic nature which
comes in different forms including its architectural
design and civil engineering complexities. These he
considered to be secondary in the line of objectives.
But what were the primary objectives one may ask?
Governor Fashola had no difficulty in explaining
that “The primary objective in its conception and
delivery was to provide a transport infrastructure
and a strategic traffic management solution aimed at
easing traffic congestion in this
area”.
To make the gains of the
completed bridge more realistic
and keep the traffic jam in
abeyance, the Governor charged
commuters from Lekki area who
have no business in Victoria
Island to use the new bridge
instead of using the Ozumba
Mbadiwe Avenue to cross to the
Mainland.
While commenting on the
grandeur of the Lekki-Link
Bridge, he pressed that the
bridge helps cover a lot of time
wasted when following the usual
road. He said, “Without using the
bridge for a cross over, one
would spend 23 minutes to get to
the other end of the bridge, but
when the bridge is used, one
would only spend three minutes
and help save 20 minutes- at the
end of a year, one would have
saved five days of stress”.
At inception the then Finance
Commissioner in the state Mr.
Rotimi Oyekan, disclosed that
the project was initiated in
furtherance of the government's
objectives of expanding and
opening up new roads for
improved economic activities.
He said, “our bold commitment
to the initial funding of these
projects is to demonstrate to
interested private sector partners
the sincerity of the government
in the total transformation and
rehabi l i ta t ion of urban
infrastructure and welcome their
h a n d s i n f e l l o w s h i p o n
reasonable terms and conditions
in this and other areas of
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COVER
Lekki - Ikoyi Link Bridge at night
Governor Fashola, his works and infrastructure Commissioner Hamzat & other officials of the state take a walk during an inspection of the bridge
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
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development and growth”.
But the state commissioner for Works and
Infrastructure, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat
noted that the bridge was a bold statement by
the government to hand over to the people of
the state tomorrow's infrastructure today. “It is
the coming to full circle of a state determined
to provide its people the quality and quantum
of infrastructure that will enable us realize our
full potentials as a state and as individuals,” he
said.
Being the first of its kind in this part of the
world, Hamzat pointed out that the beauty was
not just the issue but the service it is meant to
render to the people which according to him is
in line with the desire of the administration to
hand down to the people qualitative
infrastructure that is functionally creative.
This he said was the vision of the state to drive
development in the state minding its position
as the economic and socio-cultural nerve
centre of the nation.
He explained that the bridge was conceived
with the aim of solving the traffic bottleneck
which has grown in leaps and bounds due to
astronomical rise in real estate development in
the Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah
corridor. This area is reputed as the fastest real
estate growing corridor in Africa. Coupled
with this is the growth in human settlement in
the area, economic development in investment
and volume of business along the corridor.
These developments therefore, had
encouraged much human traffic which was
overbearing on the existing access road.
Beyond that the bridge serves one major
function as a bye pass. The role of bye passes
cannot be over-emphasized. Many cities
where major highways pass through have
been saved of suffocating traffic hold ups by
the intervention of bye passes. The Lagos
government restated that these were taken
into consideration in the concept so that the
bridge would become an access road around
Elegushi roundabout and Lekki Phase 1 as
well is a strategic bye pass along the Falomo
Bridge, Alfred Rewane, Independence
Bridge and Ahmadu Bello Way.
The construction proper of the cable stayed
bridge did not go without causing some
hardship and loses on the part of some
people and even governments. For instance,
four properties at the Ikoyi end of the bridge
had to give way. Out of these four, two
belonged to the Federal Government of
Nigeria while two belonged to Lagos
State. But a cordial meeting between the
State Governor and the late President
Umar Musa Yar' Adua came out with a
kind permission granted by the later
ceding the two federal properties to Lagos
to ensure the bridge stood. This came at
the peak of disputes between Lagos and
the government at the centre. Again the
state is controlled by the opposition party
from the party in power at the centre.
The building of the bridge afforded
Nigerians opportunity to learn firsthand
from the contractors the new technology
they had not known in the country. While
the construction lasted, it was more or
less a time for transfer of skills,
knowledge and technology to local
engineers and students who came in to
understudy various components of the
bridge construction.
There were 149 skill acquisition
participants, 40 holiday jobbers, 20
interns and eight National Youth Corps
members who participated in the
construction work while 700 jobs were
created. These included engineers,
welders, drivers, labourers and artisans.
For Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, it was not a
mere feat or a stamp of the company's
COVER
Julius Berger Nig. Plc. Managing Director,Mr. Wolfgang Goetsch
Julius Berger equipment at work at the peak of construction
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
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authority in the construction industry in
Nigeria but an emphasis that it had more
things in its sleeves waiting to be unveiled as
duty beckons on them.
The technology applied
History records the Seven Wonders of the
World which till date have remained
wonders. One of them was the Hanging
Garden of Babylon. This was technology in
operation. No matter how primitive that
technology was, it still remained a wonder.
Whether we like it or not, it was a kind of
technology applied by the builders that hung
it there. The cable stayed bridge built to link
Lekki and Ikoyi is also the product of
advanced technology. Before now it had not
been known in the history of bridges in the
country, so this now became a challenge to
both the contractor and the client.
The Managing Director of the company Mr.
Wolfgang Goetsch, had revealed that the
cable-stayed bridge was planned and
designed by Julius Berger engineers in
Germany and Nigeria while additional
technical support came in from Engineering
and Service Group Belfinger.
He made explanations on the technology
adopted by the construction giants in
realizing the design to the physical bridge
called Lekki – Ikoyi Link Bridge.
A breakdown of the process that led to the
realization of the 1, 357 meter long bridge
shows that its 91 meter high Pylon from water
level which is visible from very far distance
remains a major feat. Julius Berger explained
further that the design required a specialized
engineering knowhow just as the construction
also required the introduction and mastery of
new methods.
The primus inter pares (best among equals) in
the construction industry, Julius Berger, whose
reputation goes ahead of it as one of the
foremost construction giants that delivers
excellent and world class construction works
earned the attention of the Lagos State
government, to be awarded the construction of
the bridge.
Julius Berger went to work at once and that it
had to do with the use of advanced construction
techniques and products to overcome
environmental and logistical challenges to
meet stringent design specifications. This
includes sourcing materials and equipment that
were difficult or impossible to procure from
within the country, through the aid of its
German subsidiary, BASF Construction, that
equally aided in the planning and designing of
the first cable-stayed-bridge in West Africa.
John Gilbertson, Business Development
manager, West Africa for BASF Construction
Chemicals, (an allied-company to Julius
Berger) affirms of the quality of this bridge,
saying, “The finish of the concrete is superb
and comfortably similar to those found in
Europe. In addition, our levels of service and
pricing met their unique needs in this difficult
working environment”.
“The pylon with its two curved legs clearly
characterizes the appearance of the bridge. Up
to a height of 50 meters, the pylon is A- shaped.
After which the pylon legs change form and
curve outwards to the top. The highly difficult
in-situ works were carried out by means of
specialized self climbing formwork systems.
For inspection and maintenance purposes,
both pylon legs, as well as the main bridge
superstructure are accessible from the inside,”
Mr. Goetsch said.
The bridge is four lanes - two lanes on each
side. It is made up of two principal parts. On
the Lekki side, the “approach bridge” is 722
meters long full span. The main bridge itself is
located just above water level and 635 meters
long cable-stayed made up of a precast
structure. The main bridge is suspended from
the 91 meters high pylon. The required nine
meters headroom above water level for
navigational traffic is maintained.
The Julius Berger boss stated that all the
bridge deck elements were prefabricated and
produced by the company here in Nigeria.
Also the span elements of the approach bridge
which weighs 250 tons each were installed by
two specially designed launching girders. The
company applied the principle of the balanced
cantilever to install the main bridge section
consisting precast segmental box girder
elements.
The pylon structure was built on 43 bored piles
with a diameter of 1, 524 millimeters and a
maximum length of 75 meters. But the
foundation of the bridge structure closed-end
driven steel piles with a diameter of 914
millimeters and an average length of 50
meters. The steel casings were also reinforced
and filled with concrete.
An elated President of the Nigerian Society of
Engineers (NSE), Engr. Mustapha Balarabe
COVER
Different stages of construction of the bridge
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
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Shehu appreciated the effort of the Governor of
Lagos State and expressed how much interest
the NSE had in the bridge project. He buttressed
this when he told the guests at the
commissioning that there were instances when
delegates from NSE had to come to conduct on-
site research while the project was on-going and
he equally said the bridge would serve as a form
of research for both the engineers and the
prospective Nigerian engineers.
The realization of the benefits is both immediate
and long-term. For majority of Lagosians who
work on the Island, transportation is a major
determinant of how well they perform their
duties. To great extent traffic congestion forms a
major upset they face each morning and their
state of mind cannot be separated from how they
attend to their duties. So, the more the traffic is
eased the less their stress is reduced.
Users' reaction
However, commuters, motorists and other users
of the link bridge have been reacting to the
impact of the seven month old bridge. Mr
Rasheed Adebola a cab driver commended the
state government on this major infrastructure
development. He said, “As a cab driver, the
bridge has helped me beat time and increased
my income for the day. Each time I have to take
a client to this area, I now ply this route and it
makes life easy for me and my passengers.”
Mr. Adekunle Gboyega, also a driver, applauded
the state government's effort. He however,
appealed to the government to review the toll
fees downwards. He added that this type of
bridge would serve the citizens better if it was on
the Ikorodu road. He therefore called on the
government to do something urgently on the 4th
Mainland Bridge so as to bring it to reality.
For Mr. Festus Oji, the new Lekki Ikoyi Link
Bridge is the answer to traffic congestion in that
part of Lagos. “I have driven my boss through
that route before. It only takes N250 as toll fee
whereas you pay N120 as toll fee at Ozumba
Mbadiwe Avenue toll plaza. In the case of the
link bridge, the movement is smooth and fast
and leads you straight to Third Mainland Bridge
without hindrance. But on the Ozumba
Mbadiwe you will spend so much time on traffic
with stops on traffic light in some places. I will
continue to use it not minding the charge
because “time na money”
Suspension bridges and Cable-Stayed
Bridges
There have been various suspension bridges
built over the years that have brought fame and
economic power to countries. One of such
countries in Africa is South Africa, with more
than six suspension bridges. Notable among
them is the Levey Bridge, which is proudly
reputed as one of the oldest bridges in the
world, constructed in 1898.
In the world at present, we have about 125
suspension bridges that are completed; about
11 are on-going while we equally have about
11 proposed bridges.
Of all these bridges, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
in Kobe-Awaji Route, Japan is reputed as one
of the longest suspension bridges since 1998
with a main span metre of 1,991 and main span
feet of 6,532, while the Russky Bridge,
Vladivostok, Russia is reputed equally as one
of the longest cable stayed-bridges with two
pylons.
Another of one of the oldest suspension bridges
is the Union Chain Bridge, opened in July
1820. It is acclaimed to be the first major bridge
of its kind to be designed for vehicles and is the
oldest surviving iron chain suspension bridge
still in use in Europe till date.
Similarities and differences between cable-
stayed bridges and suspension bridges
To the layman, there might not be differences
between the two cable-stayed bridges and the
suspended bridge. But in its review, the
Engineering Network Team listed the salient
issues that separate the two.
According to them, Cable stayed bridges could
either employ the fan design or the harp design.
They noted that the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge is a
single anchorage bridge that employed the
harp design. The bridge spans 1.358 km (about
one-tenth the length of the Lagos Third
Mainland Bridge) with a width of about 12
metres. The entire length is composed of a 635
metres cable stayed single span and a 722
metres approach span with walkways on both
sides.
Compared to other bridge types, the Team says
the cable-stayed type is best for longer spans
than used for cantilever bridges, and shorter
than those needing a suspension bridge.
COVER
President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Mustapha Shehu
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
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Cantilever spans become too heavy if they
were made longer. A cable-stay bridge is
cheaper to build than a suspension bridge
over a short distance.
They also pointed out that the physical
difference between a suspension bridge and a
cable-stayed bridge is that the suspension
bridge has its span suspended by a connection
of smaller cables linked to another main cable
anchored at both ends of the bridge to the
ground or anchorage while the cable-stayed
bridges have the cables anchored directly to
the anchorage/pylon at a point (fan design) or
at several f ixed points along the
anchorage/pylon (harp design).
According to them, the cable-stayed bridges
have numerous advantages over the
suspension type, some of which include:
The advantage of cable-stayed bridges lies in
the fact that it can be built with any number of
towers but for suspension bridges it is
normally limited to two towers.
The more towers employed in a cable-stayed
bridge, the more resistant the bridge becomes
to wind actions and other forces within the
cables capable of causing deflections and
damage in the long run.
The cable –stayed bridges attain much
greater stiffness than the suspension bridge,
so that deformations of the deck under live
loads are reduced.
The cable-stayed bridge can be constructed
by cantilevering out from the tower with the
cables acting both as temporary and
permanent supports to the bridge deck.
The cable-stayed bridge type allows for
symmetry (i.e. spans on either side of the
tower are of the same length) if so desired
thereby balancing the horizontal forces and
eliminating the need for large ground
anchorage.
Record of bridges in Lago
The first cable stayed bridge Lagosians and
Nigerians are witnessing, the Lekki – Ikoyi
Link Bridge is not the first bridge built to
connect Lagos localities being a state made up
of many islands. It is also not the first bridge
Julius Berger is building in Lagos. It might not
be wrong to say that Lagos made Julius Berger
as it built its first bridge – Eko Bridge 50 years
ago. After this the workers got nicknamed
“Bridge Boys”. The Eko Bridge connects
Lagos Island with the Mainland and
especially, Surulere and other areas.
That feat opened up the door of fame to the
construction giants. Wolfgang Goetsch
confirmed this claim saying, “Almost 50
years ago, Julius Berger built its first bridge in
Nigeria – the Eko Bridge- here in Lagos. This
structure laid the foundation for development
of the city and even today it still stands strong.
At the time, Julius Berger then known as
“Bridge Boys” played an integral role in the
“hour of birth” of modern Lagos. In parallel,
this was the catalyst for the establishment of
the Julius Berger brand in Nigeria and the
beginning of a long history of achievements”.
The First bridge in Lagos was built in 1901 by
the then Governor – Gilbert Thomas Carter.
The bridge took after his name – Carter Bridge
which connects two islands – Lagos and Iddo.
Others included the Falomo Bridge and
Independence Bridge both of which are at the
ends of Falomo and Marina. They link the two
islands Ikoyi and Island and Victoria Island.
We cannot overlook the giant record left
behind by the building of Lagos Third
Mainland Bridge which is the longest bridge
in Nigeria and Africa. It spans through a
distance of 11.8 kilometers. It was on
commissioning named after the Military
President under whom it was built as Ibrahim
Babangida Bridge.
As for Lagosians who witnessed the
construction and commissioning of the Lekki-
Ikoyi Link Bridge, it is a whole lot of modern
infrastructure that beats its kind in the whole of
West Africa. To lightly state the aesthetic beauty
that this bridge reflects is to undermine the
definition of beauty itself. A gaze at this giant
bridge as it strides into the air will spontaneously
create an awe-inspiring effect on the beholder.
Though, the bridge which spans over 1.358km is
a standard mega city compliant facility, serving
as a strategic by-pass, and helping to allay the
fear of traffic congestion in areas around the
Lekki-Link bridge circumference, this capital
intensive project has been met with criticisms,
and outcries that the capital expended on it is
steep, and it is more of a way of feasting on tax-
payers money. Yet, one cannot either overlook or
under-look the benefits it carries, which are both
economical and soothing.
Controversies around the Link Bridge
The criticism on the cost goes down to tackle the
issue of construction cost which people have
been saying is high in the country. However,
what the critics failed to tell Lagossians in
particular and Nigerians in general is what the
actual cost should have been. If they have done
this it would be easy for them not to be seen as
mischief seeking critics.
There have also been cries against collection of
tolls on the bridge. It has become part of tolled
facilities in the country for people to raise eye
brows or objections on why they would not pay
tolls. The claim is usually that the facility to be
tolled is a creation of the people's tax.
Tolling is a global practice especially where
government runs a partnership with the private
sector. It helps in the management of the facility
whether roads or bridges not only in the
recouping of the funds spent in building but in
maintaining the said facilities.
Nigerian tolled federal highways all came down
in January 2004 when the country was
canvassing for the introduction of fuel tax. But
this failed woefully as the people kicked against
it. Almost 10 years after, Nigeria is returning to
it.
COVER
30
The bridge showing the pylon
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However, Lagos had gone ahead of the country,
built and concessioned the Lekki- Epe road and
tolled it in three locations. This was highly
resisted by the people leading to riots and
demonstrations. The Lekki – Ikoyi Link Bridge
is a second facility of the state that is to be tolled
by this administration.
Though some raised eye brows on this, some
others were of the opinion that what is important
to Lagosians now are facilities that would work
and move the state forward while the people pay
for the services rendered adding that there are
no free lunch anywhere in the world again. They
encouraged that Nigerians should start seeing
the better prospects in services that work and
develop the state to the mega city status.
On this, the state tried to clear the air by saying it
is not compulsory that people use it since it is an
alternative route. The Governor had said at the
commissioning no Lagosian will be compelled
to ply the bridge; it is as much as optional.
Lagosians who have heartily applauded this
giant stride have equally requested that the
Lagos state government can work on making
the toll moderate tolls that will be affordable for
an average Nigerian. This was in reaction to the
toll fee that was declared at the commissioning
of the bridge.
Governor Fashola officially disclosed the toll to
be paid on the bridge. Saloon cars, he said were
to pay N250, mini-vans, SUVs and light pick-up
trucks N300, non-commercial buses with a
maximum seating capacity of 26 (twenty-six)
persons are to pay N400, while motorcycles
with 200cc capacity and above are to pay N100.
These tolls are to be paid each way.
The Lekki-Epe Corridor
The Lekki-Epe express road was a long-term
construction process initiated by the Jakande
administration of 1979 to 1983. This was
completed by the Mudashiru and Mike Akhigbe
military administrations in 1987. As a result, the
entire Lekki axis was then opened up for rapid
development. Between 1985 and now, the
corridor has been experiencing rapid and
unprecedented urban growth as hundreds of new
communities, developments and estates have
developed which drew large population of low
and midd le income ea rne r s . These
developments have now made it expedient for
expansion of the facilities on ground as well
develop more roads.
The last administration realizing the urgent need
to address the fast growing problem of road
congestion conceived the idea of the expansion
of the existing express road into a six-lane
roadway. The construction of an alternate
coastal road that will run from Ahmadu Bello
way in Bar Beach, along the shores of the
Atlantic Ocean towards Ibeju-Lekki Local
Government area to the South South region has
been in the drawing board of the Federal
Ministry of Works for long. The third leg was the
construction of a fourth mainland bridge, from
Langbasa area near Ajah across the Lagos
Lagoon to Ibeshe, Ikorodu town and detouring
somewhere to join the existing third mainland
bridge thereby forming a circular road around
Lagos is on the drawing board.
The economic advantage of the bridge
For some unemployed citizens of Lagos, the
project equally provided them a job to meet
their needs. Through the period of the
construction, the bridge generated
employment for both skilled and unskilled
labour.
Considering that Lagos is the business hub
of Nigeria, and Nigeria being the most
populous Black Country in the world,
fostering investment in the country becomes
paramount and one of the major
infrastructure that must be in place is good
road network that wi l l a id easy
transportation. It therefore, gives foreign
investors better prospects of Nigeria, thus,
influencing their decisions to invest in
Nigeria and ultimately creating more job
opportunities for Nigerians while equally
aiding rapid development.
This though may not seem immediate; the
benefits however, are both immediate and
long-term. For majority of Lagosians who
work on the island, transportation becomes
foremost in their consideration and the easier
the traffic flow the better for them to flow
along on their jobs with ease as this
eventually reduces stress on their work.
The Lekki – Epe corridor is ripe for
investments; will the road networks and
bridges within this axis make way for a
bounty economic harvest? Time and
activities unfolding with the years ahead will
unveil these.
ISSUES
Physical infrastructure, such as
roads, houses, power and water
have been identified as essential
and sine qua non for the growth of the African
economy.
Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Arc. Mike
Onolemenmen, stated this recently in Abuja
saying that infrastructure development and
economic growth are mutually reinforcing,
as infrastructure development plays a vital
role in wealth creation.
Speaking on "Funding Infrastructure
Development in Africa: Nigeria As a Case
Study" the Minister identified good
infrastructure as being "critical to the overall
development of the Nigerian economy,
which in turn impacts the standard of living
of Nigerians".
The Minister pointed out the enormity of
requirements in the sector saying that though
the infrastructure deficit is large and affects
every sector, investment in the road sector
alone requires at least construction of
14,000kilometrres of new roads annually for
the next seven years, apart from maintaining
and rehabilitating the existing network as a
matter of routine in order to adequately
support economic growth and meet vision
20:20:20. He noted that these would require
the average annual expenditure on roads to
increase seven fold to nearly N750billion.
Arc. Onolememen mentioned that in view of
central place that infrastructure development
occupies in President Jonathan quest to
transform the nation, the country has just
completed the development of a National
Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, which
requires tens of trillions of naira to
implement.
Government alone, he stated, cannot fund
this huge portfolio due to the limited financial
resources available and against the backdrop
of current global financial tightening and
increased competition for available
infrastructure funds; thus, government is
exploring new ways of bridging the
infrastructure Funding Gap.
The Minister mentioned that in order to
attract private sector financing, the Federal
Government took steps not only to ensure
that direct foreign investments (DFIs) and
Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) thrive in
the development of infrastructure and the real
sector in the country but also guarantee
transparency and accountability in the
process. He identified some of the notable
steps as the enactments of the following:
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory
Act (ICRC) 2005, Power Sector Reform Act
2005, Public Procurement Act 2007 and
Mining Act 2007.
Arc. Onolememen said that though the
President Jonathan-led Federal Government
had embarked on major sectoral reforms in
Roads, Housing, Maritime, Aviation,
Agriculture, Solid Minerals, Power, Oil and
Gas, etc which will ensure enhanced and
sustainable financing of infrastructure
development in Nigeria; adding that similar
paths were taken by India, Malaysia and
many other countries that have successfully
turned around infrastructure development
and consequently their economies.
The Minister was of the opinion that 'User
pays' principle will inevitably find its way
into the infrastructure sector if the nation is to
at tract private investments in the
development of infrastructure; adding that
evidence abound that Nigerians are prepared
to pay for good service.
Also, he referred to a number of Public
Private Partnership projects embarked upon
by the federal government such as the Second
Niger Bridge, Murtala Muhammed
International Airport-Apakun/Oshodi
Expressway in Lagos as means of delivering
critical national infrastructure.
The Minister further stated that the
government had not discountenance other
means of financing the nation's infrastructure
as there have been improvements in securing
multi-lateral financing as well as bi-lateral
financing where the loan rates are
competitive; assuring that the nation must
ultimately strengthen and build financing
capacity through our domestic financial
institutions and banks in order to ensure
sustainability.
Arc. Onolememen, said that the Federal
Government recognised the need to bridge
the infrastructure gap in the country which
require Attitudinal Change, including bold
and courageous actions by both the Executive
and the Legislature to unleash uncommon
transformation in the country.
He therefore recommended the following
actions to bring Nigeria out of the wood:
dec la ra t ion o f emergency in the
infrastructure sector; establishment of an
Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF); the
National Assembly to pass appropriate
legislation establishing the IDF and the
implementation of the NIIMP from the first
line charge over a 10-year period; and better
corporate governance that requires an
amendment to the Company and Allied
Matters Act that allows companies to
contribute three to five per cent of their pre-
tax income to the IDF
Works Minister makes case for investment
in infrastructure-Dachi Maduako reports
Arc. Mike Onolememen
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EQUIPMENT REVIEWTECHNOLOGY
The Parker RoadStar combines quality
and mobility to provide one of the most
reliable and easily transported asphalt
mixing plants available anywhere in the
world.
Designed to satisfy the needs of
contractors who demand nothing less
than the best quality asphalt which is
within specification at all times, the
Parker RoadStar is the ideal solution for
major road and motorway construction
projects. Requiring minimal foundations
the RoadStar has been a particular
favourite for many international airport
surfacing contracts across the world.
The three main units of the plant - cold
feed, dryer and mixing sections - are
fully mobile and on arrival at site can be
brought quickly into operation.
Their field proven design offers high
reliability with low maintenance.
Parker RoadStar unique asphalt mixer
The new Cartem 'Spreadmaster' chipping
spreader has been designed as the ultimate
solution for surface dressing works. Controls
have been centralised to simplify operation and
minimise the time needed for driver training
with a single joystick for all chip spreading
controls and a steering wheel and accelerator to
drive the machine. With a variable width twin
section front aggregate hopper which is
continuously expandable and a series of cut off
gates the chipper is capable of spread widths of
300mm to 4.40m (12” to 174”).
The power unit and drive train have been
designed to enable high speed travel capability
between jobs to minimise down time and
maximise productivity.
Parker’s cartem spreadmasterParker’s cartem spreadmasterParker’s cartem spreadmaster
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Vurmak as a brand renowned for excellent machineries has imprinted this same excellence in its mobile ready-mixed concrete plant. The mobile ready-mixed concrete plant is a plant which is known for its quality and professional technical features, which have made Vurmak invest sophisticating technological specifications on the mobile ready-mixed concrete plant.
Manufactured using the latest, the plant which is designed for professional use with excellent technical features comes in different features which include 1m3, 2m3 to 3m3 single-shift and twin-shaft, pan mix and a skip/belt conveyor alternatives. Both the aggregate bunker and filing platform are transport on their own trailers. The cement silos are foundation-free and has a low construction cost.
The mobile type cement silos do not require a concrete base due to, the weights used in their bases enable cement silos to be inst6alled on a flat surface. These enable contractor to save time in installation and dismantling works.
The mixer platform is transported with only one truck as a single piece, readily assembled and wired. Each cement silo is transport with only one truck readily assembled and wired.
With the ready mixed-concrete plant as a major item Vurmak still has others that range from Cement Storage and packaging Facilities, Vertical and Horizontal Silos, Recycling Units and Ship Discharge Bunkers, Silos and Cement Bulk Carrier Loading Units and Truck-Weigh Bridges
With a significant international presence, Vurmak's mobile ready mix concrete plant has become a need for effortless and effective work.
EQUIPMENT REVIEWTECHNOLOGY
A worldwide customer-minded solution for solar
s the world's population grows, alternative energy Asources will become increasingly important contributors to the world's store of available energy. With the
introduction of the robust PD10 pile driver, Vermeer offers solar industry pioneers the high-quality, productive equipment solution this rapidly expanding market demands.
Commercially-sized solar fields, comprised of thousands of piles, render conventional pile driving equipment insufficient to tackle the challenge presented by these sizeable fields. With the opportunity offered by commercial solar field installations, solar installation contractors require an equipment solution capable of meeting tight timelines and narrow accuracy tolerances. This trend has driven contractors to scrutinize cycle times and inspired many of the features of the PD10.
Along with reliable equipment, we are the only manufacturer in the market who can truly boast of a worldwide dealer network. These and more are the user friendly advantages of the PD10 to give convenience even while at work
At your fingertips. An industry-unique integrated control system offers the operator a variety of machine information, including pile angle and height. Display also shows machine maintenance information to help maintain service schedules.
Reduce your cycle time. Using the auto plumb feature, the PD10 can correct pile angle to complete verticality without any manual adjustment by the operator. The mast automatically moves to a plumb orientation with a touch of a button. No longer is a hand level needed to position the pile vertically.
Take control. Conveniently placed dual joystick controls allow the operator to control machine functions including engagement of the hammer, pile placement and ground drive.
Stay on-grade. An optional laser receiver mounted to the machine hammer helps operators keep pile height consistent from one pile to the next. This information is relayed to the operator via the integrated control system.
Leave it like you found it. The PD10 features a wide track pad to maintain flotation and minimize jobsite disturbance in widely varying ground conditions.
Operator options. Operators can choose to be seated or to use an optional wireless remote control, which controls machine functions, including hammer engagement, pile placement and ground drive.
Vurmak ready-mixed concrete plant made mobile
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GREEN TECHNOLOGY
Is Africa Ready and Willing to go Green?
ENVIRONMENT
Ojo Temitope start his career with Sustainable G r o w t h A f r i c a Development Initiative where he participated in several research projects and data gathering and analysis, focusing on sustainability in emerging markets with emphasizes on built environment .
He later moved to Nigeria Institute of Architects. A versatile professional with expertise in business development, marketing, client development and project delivery. Similarly with exceptional ability to facilitate organized teams, Interface with public agencies and liaise with key stakeholders.
Wi t h b a c k g r o u n d i n Chemical Engineering (B.Eng.) along with various executive courses in Green Cert i f icat ion, Project M a n a g e m e n t a n d Marketing. Temitope is currently pursuing a master degree in Environmental Sciences. He has the passion for promoting sustainability in the built environment.
Through his profession, he has been engage in urban development projects that feature green building, affordable housing and mixed –use development and participated as a speaker and event organizer in Expo, roundtables , led lunch and learn seminars covering Green Economy.
frica's climate has become hotter
Aand volatile as a result of climate
change,
There is no doubt the continent needs to go
green by embracing environmental
sustainability.
The Environmental sustainability issues
such as climate change, waste management,
land use, water scarcity, deforestation,
pollution, energy consumption, among
others matter more to Africa than any other
region.
The continent is well poised to take
advantage of its vast human resources and
natural endowment to be at the fore front of
going green, but this is not to say that there
are no challenges associated with the region
going green.
The widespread adoption of 'green culture
will bring great benefits to Africa.
Climate change is not a crisis of Africa's
making, yet Africa's climate is set to become
hotter and more volatile, exposing the
continent's poor inhabitants to heightened
risk. A systematic approach is required to
manage the cont inent ' s emiss ion
contribution.
The African climate contribution to
emission could be classified into: energy
emission, Industrial process emission,
agriculture & land use emission.
Current emissions could be managed by –
re-orientation and mass literacy programs to
educate the populace on the harmful effect of
emissions to their health and the
environment, legislations by government
with the input of the industry stakeholders to
set standard and polices to regulate its
contributions to emissions, best green
building practice like Energy efficiency
should be encouraged.
“Adoption of green building practice with
design and construction field remains low”
Green building in Africa could be defined as
the practice of creating structures and using
processes that are environmentally
responsible and resource efficient
throughout a building life cycle from sitting
to design, construction, operation,
maintenance, renovation and deconstruction
in the continent.
Ojo Temitope
unding – due to relative high cost associated Fwith green building projects and financing
such projects have been a difficult task for
developers; also lack of investors is another factor.
Human resource and client knowledge – lack of
credible evidence of the advantages of green
building to existing structure
However, the following measures should be put in
place to address the earlier mentioned barriers:
desire to protect the environment, active
governmental regulation and policies, green
building awareness campaigns, training and
development, products standardization, culture and
community influences “Who will build is as
important as what we build.”
The concern about energy, greenhouse gas
emissions and indoor air quality, an explosion of
interest in green building is creating new job
opportunities in the construction industry. This
brings about development and training in the
construction industry. To meet the demands for this
emerging industry, training and development
programs are imperative.
This could be achieved by establishment of
institutions such as colleges, technical schools,
union training centers, and associated schools to
create programs that will develop the skill for green
industry. Introduction of green building strategies
and best practices into school curricular from initial
stages is a good foundation.
Moreover, availability of resource persons to train
and develop green construction workers and
professionals in the emerging industry is necessary.
Furthermore regulation and accreditation to help
policies and rating system is important. Better
environment quality, going hand in hand with a
better job, with efforts to bring new workers into this
field, and to help working professionals discover
how to build green, deserve urgent attention.
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INNOVATIONS
World dazzling structural designs
TECHNOLOGY
nnovations and dazzling ideas have
Iinundated the construction industry
with amazing structures that have
become a cynosure that appeals to human
mind. These designs create beauty and add
colour to life. It has equally been the
parameter through which the developments
of countries are measured. Architects in the
construction industry have through their
imaginative prowess brought up odd
structures beyond human comprehension.
A first sight at most of these buildings, the
reality of the statement, 'the impossible is
possible' is reiterated.
Amongst a host of these mind blowing
structures are 'The Crooked House', in
Sopot, Poland and 'The Basket Building' in
Ohio, United States to name a few. Both
have been reputed to belong to the class of
the novelty architecture in the world today
and have become a tourist attraction.
The construction of the 'The Crooked
House' building started in January 2003 and
in December 2003 it was completed,
spanning 12 months. The Crooked House
architecture is based on Jan MarcinSzancer
(famous Polish artist and child books
illustrator) and Per Dahlberg (Swedish
painter living in Sopot) pictures and
paintings. Jan MarcinSzancer who was born
in November 12, 1902and died–March 21,
1973 was a Polish illustrator. He studied at
Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts, and later in
France and Italy. Most of his paintings have
been influenced by the knowledge he had
while studying Fine Arts.
The Longaberger Basket Company building
in Newark, Ohio on the other hand might
just be the only strangest office building in
the world. The 180,000-square-foot
building, a replica of the company's famous
market basket, cost $30 million and took
two years to complete. Many experts tried to
persuade Dave Longaberger to alter his
plans, but he wanted an exact replica of the
real thing.
Construction of this novelty building began
in October 1995 on the Longaberger
Company's seven-storey Home Office, a
replica of the company's Medium Market
Basket and the dream of company founder
Dave Longaberger. Construction was
completed in December 1997. Situated on a
park-like setting in Newark, Ohio, the
building is visited by thousands of visitors
each year.
The property covers 25 acres, weighing
8,000-9,000 tons with a square footage of
180,000 and the dimensions are 92' long,
126' wide at grade, widening to 208' x 142'
at the roof. The construction time line was
two years and three months and the exterior
finish is clay stucco. The building capacity
is approximately 500 employees.
On the top of the baskets, the two basket
handles are attached to the top of the
building with copper and wooden rivets
replicating those on a Longaberger Basket;
the handles, which weigh about 150 tons,
are heated to prevent ice from forming.
Most of these edifices eventually help draw
attention to the countries and as a result,
create room for investment and tourism for
these countries.
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- Olamide Alabi
ICT
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) unarguably is an
essential value in all sectors of the
economy. Most firms have and will still
increase their investment in ICT as this has
raised productivity in the quality and speed
of work, service delivery, financial
controls, communications, and access to
data.
The exact ICT requirements vary greatly
among companies depending on the
industry, sector, role or specialty and in
effect, the reality of ensuring access to
technology differs from company to
company and from job to job.This has
informed construction firms to develop
processes and systems that are flexible
based on what is available on different
jobsites and at different times.
Construction firms in the third world
countries especially Nigeria are confronted
with utilization of ICT services as they are
yet to understand how to utilize these
essential services to the development of
their industry. This is unconnected with the
complexity of work, the administrative
needs, the costs of doing business, the
continual demand for upgrading and the
greater knowhow required.
Our focus in this discourse is to analyze the
challenges and importance of effective use
of ICT services in construction industry.
The areas we want to discuss include
Employees' Identity Management, Time
Attendance Management, Access and
Crowd Control Management and CCTV
Surveillance Systems.
Time Attendance Management
The objective of recording arrival and
departure time at jobsites is often to
ascertain man-hour deployed on projects
and compute appropriate remuneration.
The difficulties associated with sending and
receiving information from remote
construction sites that typically lacks the
infrastructure found in an office is a
challenge to contend with. This challenge is
also compounded by labor cost with other
inherent complexities, such as safety,
insurance policy for workers, among others.
Early arrival of workers to job sites help
managers to appropriately schedule daily
duties including the need to see what
workers spend time daily. It is important to
track the times a labour spent on a job,
whether in the field or elsewhere, that
means, making sure time spent in the
canteen, warehouse or for breaks get
charged; labour tracking helps turn
problems into opportunities. Recording
information using Biometrics is a very
sensitive procedure and getting the right
terminal for your environment is key to its
success.
The level of details at which time is tracked
has a major impact on workers '
compensation, only if the time is reported
accurately on the jobsite. When a claim is
filed, verification is needed that an
employee was on the job when such
incident occurred. Having accurate
historical information lays the groundwork
for winning profitable jobs and all labour
history begins with effective time and
attendance management.
Access and Crowd Control Management
Access control solutions provide security
by giving flexible control over who is
allowed to enter or leave jobsites and when.
It also provides detailed record of access,
invaluable and indisputable evidence in
many kinds of HSE and criminal
investigations as well as contractor
disputes. It provides access to generate
detail reports; a crucial component of
secure and thorough site management.
Compiling such essential information and
reports is a valuable and vital layer of
protection of the overall security of the site.
Biometric Access Control System
Fingerprint biometric access control system
allows both site and project managers better
control of their workforce, increasing
productivity and profit margins. While
proximity card access control system are
the norm, fingerprint biometrics are more
reliable, more guard economical, and less
prone to vandalism.
Proximity card access control system
provides reliable entry and exit monitored
control. The solution allows for roll call
including time sheet and anti-pass-back
capabilities. Access control solution is user-
friendly; it allows customization of
information, including photo ID and
personalized card design. Construction
sites and temporary installations are not
difficult to manage.
CCTV Surveillance System
CCTV is a very useful instrument for many
reasons, some of them are obvious:
preventing crimes like thefts, watching the
employees and helping the security agents.
Resolving security challenges in construction
companies using technology
COMMUNICATIONS
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ICT
There are also several numerous elements
that make CCTV not only useful, but
invaluable.
Several construction firms do not consider
the use of CCTV as a basic jobsite
component. However if the benefits are
considered, it will be realized that CCTV is
a system every organization should employ.
Reason for not utilizing may not be
unconnected with unavailability of basic
infrastructure on job sites.
The industry can now benefit tremendously
from new mobile technologies with the
availability of network service even at
remote construction sites. The most
obvious benefit is the use of wireless CCTV
systems that are not subjected to any type of
wiring, because this CCTV cameras use
wireless technology in order to accomplish
their task.
Putting Technology to Work
Several solutions are available in the market
that addresses the challenges inherent in the
operations of the construction industry. It is
essential to evaluate the cost of time and
human resource associated with the several
construction firms' time attendance
management process.
·Several hours are
spent recording
time each week,
mostly on paper,
in a spreadsheet or
using specialized
s o f t w a r e o r
hardware.
·Time is also spent
transporting the time records, whether by
email, fax, phone or driving paper to the
office.
·Project managers and superintendents
spend hours reviewing and approving time
each week.
Time is spent processing payroll, including
keying in time and working with the field to
correct mistakes.
To know the effect of the above and any
other time spent each week on time and
attendance, in cost and man-hour; multiply
time spent on each task by the number of
employees performing the task, then,
multiply that number by the number of
weeks payroll is processed in a year, and the
cost incurred by an organization on time and
attendance process will begin to take shape.
Time spent on time and attendance
management can be saved and such
resources channel on other organizations
need by automating the time and attendance
process with biometric technology.
Advancement in biometric technology has
made it possible for employees' time
attendance across multiple/remote
locations to be monitored centrally from the
head office of an organization via an online
portal www.tams.com.ng; this will reduce
the inherent lapses in traditional paper
attendance management and ease
remuneration management.
The need for access control in every
organization is generally acknowledged,
protecting businesses against damage, theft
and their employees from harm. The
obvious key benefit of access control
solution is to limit the entry of un-
authorized intruders or personnel and also
keeping records of those who go in and out
of your facility.
Access and crowd control access and real-
time data can also be managed from the
office, or remotely by internet. In case of an
emergency, your reports will be able to tell
authorities, who was in and out of the office
at a particular time. Access control systems
could be as basic as key entry or as complex
as biometric facial scanning or a
combination of both.
There are many benefits of using a CCTV
security system. Some are obvious, others
less so. The most common benefits that get
reported to us are:
·Staff protection
·Safer working environment
·Increased deterrent
·Increased detection
·Eliminate fraudulent insurance claims
·Remote monitoring
·Reduced fear of crime
·Receive warnings in advance
·Increased professionalism
Making an investment in new technology
can quickly pay dividends but before
buying that, take a long look at the
company's existing infrastructure and
examine the requirements carefully; ask
vendors to provide a list of any prerequisite
software their product may require.
Measuring both projected and actual ROI
on technology investment is a long term
target.
COMMUNICATIONS
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PACESETTER
He is a builder per excellence; Bldr
S o l o m o n A k i n w o l e S .
Ogunbusola is the man at the helm
of affairs at the Federation of Construction
Industry (FOCI). He is the National President.
Born in Omuo Ekiti in Ekiti State of Nigeria,
he sits at the top hierarchy of FOCI, the
umbrella body of all construction firms in the
country; a body made up of the egg heads that
make the nation's infrastructure what we have
today, a body everyone looks up to to give
Nigeria the best when it comes to roads,
bridges, water, and all that is required to make
life worth the living in a country that needs to
fix these at a very fast rate.
Born 49 years ago, Bldr. Ogunbusola prepared
himself for the top by acquiring the
educational and technical knowledge required
for the building profession early enough in
life.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
building from the University of Jos where he
graduated in 1989 as well as a diploma from
the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti. He also
holds a double diploma in Effective Project
Management and Effective Team Leader from
Rockhurst University, United States of
America.
Bldr. Ogunbusola as an ardent seeker of
knowledge had conducted series of research to
equip himself for what he is doing today.
Among the researches he conducted are
examination of roof types used in Nigeria,
construction of roads, bridges and city
infrastructure methodology.
He enjoys the membership of many
professional bodies and organisations
including the Council of Registered Builders
of Nigeria (CORBON), the Nigerian Institute
of Building (NIOB), the Institute of
Management Consultants and is the current
president of the Federation of Construction
Industry (FOCI). He belongs to the prestigious
IBB International Golf Club and the Country
Club Abuja.
He rose to become a member of the governing
council of the Federation of Construction
Industry (FOCI) in 1997 and served in various
committees notable among which is the
Industrial Relations Committee. He was also
the chairman of the National Joint Industrial
Council (NJIC) for the construction industry
and was later elected the Vice-President of
FOCI and served for three years from 2005-
2007. He rose to the post of Deputy President
FOCI from 2008-2012 before becoming the
President.
Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola became the
Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer
of S & M Nigeria Limited, a civil and building
engineering company; an Abuja based
company in 2009 and still holds the position
till date.
The company, an indigenous construction
firm is renowned for being a pacesetter since
its inception having executed
projects especially in the
Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja. The company has
handled projects running into
billions of naira mostly in the
capital city and beyond. And
in 2007 the Bwari Area
Council, Federal Capital
Territory (FCT) gave the
company an award as the
'Best Contractor of the Year 2007'. Bldr.
Ogunbusola combined his professional
expertise, with dynamic leadership to ensure a
rapid growth of the company.
The company executed projects efficiently
which earned them more patronage from both
the government and its agencies. Some of the
remarkable projects handled by the company
include asphalt overlay of National War
College, Abuja, construction of the 7.8
kilometre Abaji- Agyana road in Abaji,
rehabilitation of four Kwali township roads,
rehabilitation of Kuje township roads,
drainage work at Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) head office,
Abuja, among others. The company is
currently handling some other projects that are
ongoing such as construction of roads at Bwari
and roads and infrastructural work to be
carried out for the Federal Housing Authority
(FHA).
Bldr. Ogunbusola's working experience
spanned through other organisations where he
acquired enough knowledge on the job that
had seen him through these later days. The
companies included AJP Joint Engineering
Limited in Ikole-Ekiti, JOOK Construction
Limited in Jos, Plateau State and Dantata and
Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola (JP)
– A builder among builders
FOCI President, Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola
FOCI President, Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola with Philippines Ambassador,Alex Lamadrid at the last FOCI AGM.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY47
- Dachi Maduako
PACESETTER
Sawoe Contruction Company Limited. He
worked assiduously in these organisations and
played major roles that equipped him so well
that by the time he left in 2009 he was already
made for the leadership position he found
himself in today.
A Christian and elder in the Christ Apostolic
Church, Bldr. Ogunbusola is always dedicated
to duty. He is a humanitarian who touches the
lives of people. For these services he rendered,
the Ekiti State Government honoured him with
the appointment as a Justice of Peace (JP).
Bldr. Ogunbusola's achievements earned him
several honours and awards including
·Distinguished Leadership in National
Development Gold Award from Corporate
Media Africa Communication Limited.
·Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award from the
All African Students' Union
·Corp Marshal Sports from the Federal Road
Safety Corps (FRSC)
·Long service award from Dantata and Sawoe
Construction Company Limited
An honorary award from the National Union
of Ondo State Students and University of Jos
A family man, he is happily married to his
wife, Mrs. Sarah Taiwo Ogunbusola (nee
Adeleye). They are blessed with children.
His hobbies include travelling. He enjoys
visits to various construction site locations and
reading. A fine gentleman, Bldr. Ogunbusola
describes himself as blunt, straight forward
and precise when tackling responsibilities.
FOCI President, Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola with Julius Berger PLC MD.,Wolfang Goetsh at the last FOCI AGM.
(from left) Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Vice Chairman Senate Housing Committee with FOCI President, Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola at the last FOCI AGM.
For more details on Adverts, Exhibition, Spaces and Sponsorship Packages and Support, Contact:
The Director General,
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“CONSTRUCTION HOUSE”
18, Adeyemo Alakija Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tel: +234-1-461 6696, 462 8618.
[email protected] www.focinigeria.com
The Business Development Director
NILE SUPPORT SERVICES
DL: +234 802 305 0678, 806 948 4557.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
www.nilefoci.com.ng
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24th – 26th June, 2014
Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria.
48
HEALTH & SAFETY
Health and Safety in Infrastructural
Development
erry Gardiner is an
Kacknowledged world
expert on Occupational
Health and Safety, whose profound
e x c e l l e n c e h a s e a r n e d h i m
engagements with the United Nations
(UN), the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) as well as various
Governments and multinationals
around the world.
He provides strategic guidance on
how major works can be structured to
achieve optimal outcomes. He left
the Directorship at the Institute of
Occupational Health, University of
Birmingham (UK) in 2002 to realise
the many opportunities presented to
assist those that want to undertake
major works whilst maintaining a
healthy and safe work situation –
protecting those undertaking the
work and everyone up to the Board
itself. Much experience has been
gained working-out ways to enable
high-risk activities.
Kerry was appointed as British
Council Professor of Occupational
Health at the University at the
Witwatersrand in 1999, with
responsibility for Occupational
Health and Safety for sub-Saharan
Africa - a post he still retains.
In this article, he addresses 'The
Importance of Health and Safety in
the Infrastructural Development of
the Nigerian Economy'.
Prof. Kerry Gardiner
t is stated that much of sub-Saharan Africa
Irequires significant investment to reduce
its infrastructural deficit – with estimates
ranging from $10 – 14.2 Billion required per
year for the next 10 years but in the case of
Nigeria1,2. Clearly, this is a significant amount
as it constitutes ~12 per cent of GDP. However,
in order to create the dynamic powerhouse that is
modern China, 15per cent of their GDP was
invested into infrastructure throughout the
2000's. Looking further afield, those
economies/societies that have developed
culturally, financially, etc. have done so as a
result of a number of pivotal elements being in
place: namely - stable political conditions,
effective, efficient, transparent and accountable
governance of their Governments, Institutions
and Corporations. There is acknowledgment
too, that the only way to ensure that this
opportunity is realisable and sustainable is to
promote human development actively – which
must include the health, safety and ultimately
welfare/wellbeing of the population3.
To ensure that these projects can be completed
and the resultant organisation runs without
unacceptable collateral human damage, it is
necessary to achieve and maintain optimal levels
of Health and Safety. This paper will draw
heavily on these essential governance
components but within the context of Health and
Safety, and provide some pivotal elements
presented in abridged form.
Health and Safety Considerations
As alluded to above, the pivotal H&S
governance considerations reflect/mirror
e x a c t l y t h o s e o f a n y n o r m a l
Institutional/Governmental Compliance, Risk
& Governance structure – namely, to know who
is doing what, why, how, how often, with what
competence, when, where, how remunerated,
etc. (e.g. is it known and easily demonstrable
that the organisation as a whole (and
specifically) does the right thing and are those
responsible truly aware of what they have
responsibility and authority for, and are
comfortable that these are being met/exceeded
in an evidentially demonstrable manner). The
following will highlight the more critical of
these, specifically within the context of
infrastructural development projects and their
scale and resultant risks.
The following will identify the essential
components of H&S in a logical format
supplemented with a brief introductory text to
aid its understanding and consideration of its
importance. It is intended that these be
considered sequentially, as below:
·Procurement.
Before any work can start, someone somewhere
decides that what is required in the broadest
terms; however, rarely and often tragically, the
ultimate client does not state or ensure it
specifies and enforces its H&S expectations. At
this point, it is essential to integrate strategic and
robust H&S into the procurement process – if
organisations cannot achieve any specified
minimal standards then they should not be
allowed on the tender list let alone awarded
contracts. The following describes some of the
essential components:
Detailed clarification and specification of
clients' H&S expectations
Detailed and comprehensive pre-assessment of
potential bidders for the work of their risk profile
a n d h i s t o r y o f s i m i l a r a c t i v i t y
undertaken/completed safely
An acknowledgment and agreement to cascade
the H&S philosophy of the client all the way
through the contracting and sub-contracting
hierarchy.
The need for independent, comprehensive and
insightful accreditations down the sub-
contracting hierarchy. This should include
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY49
A S
S ER
American Society of Safety Engineers
www.nigeria.asse.org
Supported by:
Nigeria PDC 2014Professional Development Conference
& Exhibition
...Giving
VoiceSafetyto
Date: 22nd - 24th May, 2014.Venue: Federal Palace Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos.Time: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Daily.
HEALTH & SAFETY
“It is stated that much of sub-
Saharan Africa requires significant
investment to reduce its
infrastructural deficit”
·Competency.
The complexities of H&S and its
governance in high-profile & high-
risk jobs is such that it is absolutely
essential that everyone is competent
within the roles that they have to
discharge.
Training –
needs analyses will identify who, at
what level, how many people, etc.
will require formal H&S training. The
most widely accepted/used global
H&S training is that provided by
NEBOSHTM – whether International
General Certificate (IGC) or Diploma
Opportunity exists on larger contracts
that bespoke individual H&S training
must have been attended and passed
before an individual is allowed on-
site. If at all possible, successful
passing of these courses provides the
individual with a physical “passport”
to work (including their photograph)
which must always be shown and
validated before being allowed on-
site. Clearly, where repetitious
projects of the same nature are
undertaken then this passport is
entirely transferable.
Capacity –
Many projects have major H&S
failures due to an inadequacy in the
numbers of people truly available
·Authority – vs – Responsibility.
One of the great paradoxes within the
H&S sphere is that people are given
significant and substantial roles and
responsibilities; but, unfortunately,
they are never empowered with the
authority to be able to achieve what
they have actually been charged with
delivering. This is destined for failure
·Sustainability.
It must be paramount that one key
legacy of the significant additional
benefits resultant from undertaking
all of this infrastructural work is to
create a highly skilled, dedicated and
local cohort of tradesmen. Over time,
this group can be both added to
(capacity building) and their
knowledge/abilities expanded upon
(up-skilling). No one should be shy at
taking best practice utilised anywhere
e l s e i n t h e w o r l d a n d
adapting/optimising it for use locally.
In H&S, when there are lives to save
then no one is too worried about the
concepts of plagiarism – perhaps just
call it, “knowledge transfer”
Lastly, within the context of
s u s t a i n a b i l i t y , i t i s n o w
acknowledged that one of the most
potent means by which to influence
H&S Outcome data is to affect the
actual “behaviours” of those with
influence – from the Chief Executive
and Procurement Directors via line-
managers supervisors to those at the
“sharp-end” actually doing the job.
This Behavioural or Autonomous
Safety for those doing the work and
“Safety Leadership” for those
managing can be hugely influential
both immediately and over time
Summary Reflective Questions
The following provides some simple
(yet penetrative) questions to ask both
yourself and/or the relevant
body/organisation.
How do you or your Board
demonstrate your/its commitment to
health and safety?
What do you do to ensure appropriate
Board-level review of health and
safety?
Exclusion from the tendering process if pre-set
criteria are not met.
· A b s o l u t e “ r e d - f l a g s ” f o r c e r t a i n
policy/procedure failures or inadequacies as well
as incidents/accidents
Potential guidance, support, mentoring for those
“essential” and/or high-risk contractors that are
critical to the successful completion of the work
if they fail to meet accreditation criteria first time
Consideration of the evolution, in terms of H&S
performance and accreditation scores, over time
of the levels expected/required by the client (i.e.
year 1 to achieve 60 per cent, then year 2 to
achieve 70 per cent, etc.)
The creation of transparent and achievable H&S
performance indicators to ensure that everyone
within the project is being monitored
appropriately, and critically, evidence of their
achievement or where failure is manifest then
what censorship will be utilised. Evidently, this
requires the collection of robust, reliable and
transparent prerequisite H&S data. Preferably,
this should be “lead-indicators” rather than “lag-
indicators” (evidence of breaches).
·The H&S context and expectations set by
Government (state/local).
Despite setting and enforcing national/state
legislations, it is surprising how rarely/little
Government takes the opportunity to affect
(H&S) changes in these high-profile, high-cost,
highly-staffed, high-risk projects by considering
and engaging directly with these major projects
How many H&S Inspectors are there?
What is their depth and breadth of technical
(academic) training?
What level of training do they receive to optimise
and maintain:
Quality (i.e. comprehensive and insightful) of
inspections;
Ability to persuade change without recourse to
formal enforcement;
Ability to follow enforcement actions through –
potentially to successful legal prosecution (i.e.
sufficient rigour to sustain legal interrogation)
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY51
HEALTH & SAFETY
What have you done to ensure that your organisation, at all levels including the Board, receives competent health and safety advice?
How are you ensuring that all staff, including the Board, are sufficiently trained and competent in their health and safety responsibilities?
How confident are you that your workforce (particularly safety representatives) are consulted properly on health and safety matters, and that their concerns are reaching the appropriate level including, as necessary, the Board?
What systems are in place to ensure your organisation's risks are assessed, and that sensible control measures are established and maintained?
How well do you know what is happening on the ground, and what audits or assessments are undertaken to inform you about what your organisation and contractors actually do?
What information does the Board receive regularly about health and safety – e.g. performance data and reports on injuries and work-related ill health?
What targets have you set to improve health and safety and do you benchmark your performance against others in your sector or beyond?
Where changes in working arrangements have significant implications for health and safety, how are these brought to the attention of the Board?
Much has been written about the major benefits of optimising and delivering Health and Safety, however, within the context of infrastructural development some of the more critical are:
The projects are delivered On time – the delays resultant from major accident/incidence can be substantial.
On budget – the fiscal impact of H&S failure; especially safety incidents and absence from work resultant from ill-health, can be hugely expensive.
T h a t o p t i m a l C o r p o r a t e S o c i a l Responsibility (CSR) be conceived and delivered. The result of which means that matched, shared or sole funding from budgetary bodies (i.e. Federal, State, World Bank, etc.) can be liberated as these bodies will exert greater evidence of historic and current Due Diligence and the discharging of Duties of Care.
Major capital projects, such as those undertaken for infrastructural development, can (if completed with the right components in place) ensure robust and sustainable capacity building and knowledge transfer Summary.
The scale of infrastructural development in any African country (but particularly one the size of Nigeria) has the propensity to cause human (individual/societal) carnage if robust and sustainable H&S provision, enforcement, management, etc. is not implemented from the outset. This opportunity is present from design/procurement through to its construction and on-going utilisation/maintenance.
Ensuring that guidance is sought and i m p l e m e n t e d f r o m a s u f f i c i e n t professional/competent cadre of Health & Safety people is essential to achieve timely and on-budget projects leaving a legacy of world-class entities rather than being infamous for its human cost. As Oliver Holmes (1809-1894) said, “Knowledge and timber shouldn't be much used until they are seasoned” – a salutary lesson both in construction and Health & Safety!
52infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY
HEALTH & SAFETY
ISPON committed to safety
ISPON National President, Mr. S.E. Fregene
he Institute of Safety Tprofessionals of Nigeria
(ISPON) has re-affirmed its
commitment to ensure safety in every
aspect of human endeavour in the
country. Rising from a meeting it held
at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja,
recently the institute reiterated its
duty to serve and protect people,
property and the environment.
In his speech at the occasion, the
ISPON National President, Mr. S.E.
Fregene stated that this is a duty
which the body intends to exercise
with integrity, honour and dignity.
The event paraded some of the best
offerings in the industry in a mini-
exhibition where major players of the
industry like, SMTS, Tomsey Group
and others participated. It also
included awards which came in
different categories.
The event which had a theme, 'Safety,
the Essence of Living' carefully
addressed major safety issues
affecting the Nigerian business and
social community with plenary
sessions addressed by veterans and
seasoned practitioners in the
industry.
One of the speakers, Mr. John
Kolawole affirmed the need to make
people their greatest asset thereby creating responsible policies that will
value safety of human lives which can be
maintained.
Included in the events were awards for ISPON
members who have contributed tremendously
to the development of the Institute to show
appreciation for their efforts, one of which is
the Imo State chapter of the institute for the
commissioning of ISPON building for the
chapter recently. Also, the deputy national
president of ISPON, Nnamdi Ilodiuba earned a
merit award for his tremendous efforts which
have been evident in the growth of the institute.
The event had the presence of other allied
industries like NAFDAC, NNPC, SHELL,
MTN, CMD, DPR, NBC, SEPLAT, NIMASA
as sponsors.
53
-Victor Adabiriku
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BANKING & FINANCE
Construction Industry Bank is the needed
specialised bank
MR JOSEPH OLUSEGUN AJANLEKOKO, a renowned quantity surveyor and
major player in the Nigerian building and construction industry championed the
cause of a Construction Industry Bank to be established in the country to pave way
for stakeholders to have easy access to cheap fund. In this interview with
Infrastructure Quarterly's DACHI MADUAKO, he tells the story of how a noble
patriotic cause was being strangled but says the dream is alive and not dead.
Mr. Segun AjanlekokoMr. Segun AjanlekokoMr. Segun Ajanlekoko
r. Joseph Olusegun MAjanlekoko is a high
p r o f i l e N i g e r i a n
Quantity Surveyor who is very well
known in the Nigerian building and
construction industry
Mr. Ajanlekoko started his journey to
the top through the popular St.
Finbars College, Akoka, Lagos. He
proceeded to Willesden College of
Te c h n o l o g y ( N o w p a r t o f
Westminster University), London,
England where he studied Quantity
Surveying.
His working career spans through the
London office of E.C. Harris – a
foremost Chartered Quantity
Surveying Practice. He also worked
with Group 'Q' Associates in Nigeria
and in 1986 he set up his own practice
– Cons t ruc t i on Economis t s
Partnership (CEP).
His practice has today become a front
line Quantity Surveying and Project
Management Company in Nigeria.
He shot into prominence in the sector
and among Nigerian professionals to
become the current President,
( A f r i c a ) C o m m o n w e a l t h
Association of Surveying Land
Economists (CASLE), a position he
has held since 2008 till date. He was
also the Past President, Association
of Professional Bodies of Nigeria
(APBN) from 2010-2012 and Past
President, Africa Association of
Quantity Surveyors (AAQS) from
2005-2008. For two years, he led the
Nigerian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors (NIQS) as the President
from (2002 -2004). He is the
C h a i r m a n o f t h e p r o p o s e d
A s s o c i a t e d C o n s t r u c t i o n
Development Bank.
IQ:
ir, you started the struggle for the
SConstruction Industry Bank.
What were the things you wanted
to achieve by this?
A. Thank you very much. I won't say it was
a struggle. What I was trying to do was to
assist our nation which is being looked
upon as the model for Africa to be able to
fast track our development and get to a
position where it can compete favourably if
not with the western world, at least with the
Far East countries in terms of development.
So, my effort was a patriotic call which was
borne out of conviction that there is an
angle, there is a lacuna that needs to be
plugged, that needs to be properly situated
if we need to fast track our development in
terms of construction, housing and
infrastructure.
Having said that, I have looked at the
present scenario then of what we can call
funding for housing and the construction
industry and there were a lot of government
papers that had shown that budgets or our
expectations do not hype together and that
often times government's intentions are
lofty and noble but implementation had
been a major problem. And this has arisen
from my study that due to paucity of funds
that the sector needs and having looked at
other countries, I found out that if we need
to develop and develop rapidly, we need to
fill the yearning gap that is existing in our
housing and infrastructure development.
We need a much more sympathetic
financial institution that can help fast tract
our development. And this was how I came
to the conclusion that we cannot meet the
UN-Habitat projection for Housing for all if
as it was then we were having a 15 – 16
million housing units deficit which I am
told now is even up to 20 – 22 million. And
every year statistics of all governments put
together, are not even up to 50,000 housing
units. And if we need to build and meet
rapidly even in 15 years, we need to build at
least one million units maximum yearly.
That is what we need to do.
And the major under lying problem was
that of funding. So, one then found out that
in other countries the financial institution or
instrumentality that helps to ensure that
infrastructure and housing are delivered to
the people is a different financial
instrument and a specialized bank became
necessary. So, I then started canvassing for
this parameter on the basis of two platforms
to answer your question.
First, is that a cheap fund is what we need.
We need to meet our target. You cannot use
existing interest charges that commercial
banks are giving to run to develop
infrastructure and housing. You just can't
do it. You will still be held back. So, you
need a much more sympathetic cheap fund.
Not only that we need a long term fund that
will ensure that even when we are using this
fund we have a long gestation period that
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY55
BANKING & FINANCE
can help us achieve construction because
construction is capital intensive and is long
term. So, that was the platform upon which
today, the idea of the Construction Bank
came up. It was built on the understanding
that we cannot move, we cannot develop,
we cannot meet the expectations of our
people if we have the present commercial
bank rates being used to service or promote
construction, housing and infrastructure
development.
IQ: How long did it take you to develop
this idea?
A. Ah! How long? You see, they say these
things are given to you in your sleep and I
tried to pick it up shortly before I became the
president of my institution. I wrote a paper at
one forum that this is what I think is the way
forward. So, upon becoming the president of
our institution, I had the platform to be able
to interact with all the other presidents of all
the other allied professions in pushing it to
the front burner and interact with
government.
So, you can say that there was before my
presidency, may be a period of three or four
years, I was looking at this. But it came to
the forefront when I became the President of
the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
(NIQS).
IQ: To what extent did you go?
A. We travelled far and wide. We consulted
at the seven built environment professional
bodies. I was able to get them for us to sit
down which was a no mean feat; to say, look
we have a problem, our industry is not doing
well. The construction industry is not in
good health. I have found that there is a way
out and this way out is to help us salvage
this country and salvage our professions.
So, they bought into it and we started
meeting. And I had Mrs. Ejiwunmi who
was the president of the Nigerian Institute
of Architects then helping to galvanise the
architects' button and all of that and it
became something that was an industry
demand rather than an NIQS or Segun
A j a n l e k o k o d e m a n d . A n d t h e y
unanimously said look you must drive it; it
is your brain child, become the chairman of
the proposed bank.
And we met, we met with experts. We
chose experts to say how do we get a bank
that is a specialized bank? That process
went on up to when we were able to get
appointment to see the leadership of the
country, President Olusegun Obasanjo and
we postulated what we wanted to do. He
bought into it, he was happy. And that was
the time government was thinking of
private sector driven economy. And this
was talking about private sector driven
economy because the kind of funds we
were expecting was to be from the private
sector rather than from government.
They had seen how government had failed
in the past to meet their needs with all the
funds that they have. We got as far as
meeting President Olusegun Obasanjo. We
had interactions with him up to three or
four times. We tried to start it up. That is
how far we went. And we did a first public
issue but again, this was already being
scuttled. As we were meeting President
Olusegun Obasanjo, we had very good
meetings at the first and second meetings.
But by the time it was third time all the
financial institutions started seeing us in a
different light. And subsequently, what
could have been a support base to help the
specialized bank come into place was
seen as a competitor to them.
IQ: Are there other countries where
this has worked or is still working?
A. Yes. China is no doubt but we build it
upon these. The China Construction Bank
has helped the teeming population to be
able to have housing. And when we want
to compare like with like we will imagine
their economy and their population is
massive. With the construction bank they
have been able to move. Malaysia has it.
They have surplus housing. The Far East,
and they are using that. And even if we
come to South Africa, they have the quasi
financial construction bank. The
nomenclature may change in developed
countries. In America, their housing was
developed through this concept of cheap
long term fund.
IQ: Sir, what are the benefits the
construction industry was to have from
this?
A. Oh, first is that the industry will be
very busy, skill will be enhanced, right
now we are not developing human
resources, the manpower for the technical
skills that are required. The artisan is next
to nothing because there is no job to help
to encourage this new technical skill to be
put in place. It will be a development for
both Nigeria and the professionals and the
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BANKING & FINANCE
Mr. Segun AjanlekokoMr. Segun AjanlekokoMr. Segun Ajanlekoko
operators in the country and
those who need it would have
their needs met. Nigerian
professionals would be charted
by what they a re . The
construction industry will be
more active and would be able
to employ more hands and a
trickle effect will come into the
economy. It will boost the GDP
and Nigeria will be a better
place for it.
IQ: As you went in for
discussion how much was
your group asked to pay for
this to work?
A. Initially, the concept of
specialized bank was zero and it
was bought into and at the point
when we were canvassing for
this, the license limitation or
requirement was N2 billion for
normal bank. And if it had been
left like that, we would have
surpassed it at the first hurdle
b e c a u s e w e m a d e o u r
projections, a critical mass and
then President Obasanjo saw it,
We could have had at the initial
concept N5 billion. It could
have been the most capitalized
bank through cooperative
approach, mass input and then,
there was an expectation of
fund close to US$500 million
from outside - from the US and
the far east. And we would have
probably in the first projection
have had over N100 billion as a
starting point. And that could
have catapulted and helped
Nigeria to be a different place in terms of
providing housing and infrastructure.
But down the line government changed its mind
and then we found out that they have increased
the capital base. Our idea of even starting off,
having that first seed and then going into the
stock market of which I had spoken to Professor
Ndidi Okereke Onyiuke and she said, “come to
the stock exchange, you will have a large fund
and people will buy into it. It is a good sell out”.
Those ideas were sold to all the big banks. And
all of them who were single private run
organizations went quickly to the bank. First,
there was the initial up push to N25 billion and
because they were already at the starting block,
were able to go into the stock exchange and
increase their share base. And a whole lot of
those big banks that we had spoken to about our
strategy. Even when that had been done, we
thought that we because we are a specialized
bank would have a special dispensation
because it was being muted then that it was
going to be N7 billion or N10 billion for
specialised banks as opposed to commercial
banks. So, the president then said that no they
said that we want to compete with commercial
banks we should go and raise it. That was one of
the biggest challenges and the biggest headache
we had in driving our idea to fruition.
IQ: What role did Central Bank play in this
matter?
A. Central Bank is supposed to be the
moderator and the authority that license banks.
At the meeting with then President Obasanjo,
we had the CBN represented by the Deputy
Governor and said go ahead. We started putting
our papers together but there were the
conditionalities that must be met. And we were
meeting all our demands with CBN. We got all
the pool that were needed in place. It was at that
point that the changes were going to take place
because we were trying to say look after
formalizing our documentation, we put the first
push of deposit with them so that we can get the
license.
The license was key to us to access the foreign
funds. And they became fussy footed and did not
move to support us in getting a provisional
license. If we had been able to get the
provisional license, it is then we would have
galvanized the members and work towards the
licensing. It was like we were working for
ourselves and this was a national call seeing that
there was a need, an urgent need; a call that all
hands must be on deck to help this industry, to
help our people to be able to go from where they
are and increase the quality of life, ensure that
everybody has a roof over his or her head. But I
think they saw us in a different light which was a
statement.
IQ: Today, the former Urban Development
Bank has been renamed Infrastructure
Bank could it be that it is the idea of
construction bank that government picked to
rename its own establishment?
A. Yes indeed, without any equivocation that is
what happened because in the process of
pushing up I am an apostle of “continue to be
steadfast in your belief, continue to have the
tenacity of purpose to drive your belief to
fruition”. So, we continued when Ya' Adua came
to government. We succeeded in trying to get
into the new government and drive this purpose.
And then, I had the opportunity of speaking in a
seminar on how the construction industry could
be helped and Segun Aganga was the minister
and again I took forward our proposal and what
we want to do. We said look we are even moving
it because the fund we were going to get was,
they named it impossible because construction
was like limiting our possibilities.
58
BANKING & FINANCE
So, we said we are going to rename it
Infrastructure Bank. And we actually went
to CAC and changed our name to Nigerian
Infrastructure Development Bank and
have that certificate. We found out that
infrastructure, power, water, roads and so
on are big things which was part of the
objectives of construction development
bank and because of name, may be it was
not seen in that light. And that is what
Nigeria needs now and that we need
government as a partner, as a catalyst to
help us if even to put a seed money down
which would be paid over time so that we
can meet our expectations and the inflow
we were expecting from overseas. It was
well received, well applauded and
suddenly they said the minister would be
getting in touch with us and so on.
And in no time I just found out that what
has happened was that it was changed. The
Urban Development Bank was changed to
the Infrastructure Bank. We thought that
we were working on the same pace that at
last this would be a listening government.
And the whole idea was like. Then was the
government business and they know
globally that anything input is a taboo. The
o r i en ta t ion g loba l ly i s P r iva te
participation in governance.
So I was shocked and surprised to hear that
they have set up the Infrastructure Bank;
from where? The same old recycling of
government money, going to limited
hands not meeting the goals there, they are
not the brains behind it. It is unfortunate
because Nigeria is just shooting itself on
the foot.
IQ: Now, you have the registration and
the license but the name. What is the
legal implication?
A. Well, I don't know what it is but you
know government dictates what they
want. They are the ones who set up who
and they can do and undo. It is unfortunate.
IQ: So, as it stands now, is this dream
still alive or dead or resting?
A. The dream is alive. You know and I will
go into the spiritual depth of it. Everything
that human being is conceiving or wants to
do, first, is already anchored in the air so to
speak to put it in a layman's way – that's
that there is that idea that is already
hanging in the air but it is for you to draw
down that process and transform it into a
deed on the surface of the earth. So, that
idea is alive. We have taken certain
measures to get to do it. Certain measures
are being taken right now. Like I told you, I
am a strong believer in working towards
what you believe in. I am an apostle of
striving and working with confidence that
if something is noble, if it is pure it will fan
out for itself and become a deed at a certain
point in life. And that would still take place
because it is something that was borne out
of patriotic zeal, commitment to humanity
and it was not borne out of selfishness or
personal aggrandizement and so, it would
fly one day.
I met one old man who used to hear my
name and he said, O! Mr. Ajanlekoko,
don't give up on that construction bank, it
would come to fruition one day. And I
strongly believe in that. We are working
behind the scene, we are trying to do
restructuring, readjusting and I am sure we
will get to the promised land some day.
REDAN WORRIES ON CBN's MORTGAGE BANK CAPITALISATION BENCHMARK
embers of the Real Estate MDevelopers Association of Nigeria have recently
expressed their fears at the CBN's delay of declaring the names of Primary Mortgage Banks that met the N5billion capitalization benchmark of the CBN.This was made known at the Real Estate Trends 2014 event held recently in Lagos, by the south-west zone of the association.This development they said had posed a threat to the business of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) as they do not know which Mortgage institution to do business with. Owing to this development, REDAN has urged its members to meticulously take caution by initiating and executing projects, bearing in mind that the political campaign for 2015 is at hand.Also, at the event, the developers deliberated on issues that will shape and impact their investment development and practice in the year. Other issues addressed at the forum were on the newly established Mortgage Refinance Company, CBN tightening of monetary policies and foreign exchange policy; dwindling state revenue and aggressive IGR drive; land reform; mortgage institutions capitalization, unlocking the pension fund, insecurity and re-introduction of tolls by the federal government.REDAN South-West Zone chairman, Mr Adeoye Akintoye stated that the event was organized to provide insight for developers of what they should expect in 2014 as it relates to government policies, so as to open their horizons to opportunities available. These, he said, were the reasons for addressing issues such as these in the forum.Cautioning developers on how they roll out projects during the election years, REDAN President, Chief Olabode Afolayan emphasized that the instability associated with the election year will inevitably affect real estate business. He buttressed the need to tread with caution in executing projects.Speaking on this light, Professor Timothy Nubi, a lecturer in the department of Estate Management in the University of Lagos also stressed that the best way to safe guard members of the association in project execution is for real estate business to fund itself in the capital market where they can raise bond to float Real Estate Invest Trust (REIT).
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY59
FACILITY MANAGEMENT
Builders ponder on Facility Management
L-R: Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning & Urban Development, Tpl. Toyin Ayinde, presenting
an award to the first Nigerian Insititute of Building (NIOB) President and first Chairman, Council of Registered
Builders in Nigeria (CORBON) Otunba Fatai Ishola Osikoya, his wife Adebola and immediate past Chairman of NIOB,
Lagos State chapter, Bldr. Jelili Akinpelu during the 2013 NIOB Builders conference/AGM in Lagos...recently
-Dachi Maduako reports
he impact of facility management in the
Tbuilding and construction industry is
gaining grounds in the Nigerian
environment as more professionals in the industry
are not just picking interest but are bent on seeing it
established as a core course of study to enable them
operate and compete with their counterparts
elsewhere without feeling inferior.
This was the feeling of members of the Nigerian
Institute of Building (NIOB), Lagos State chapter
when they met for their 2013 Builders'
conference/Annual General Meeting held at the
NECA House, Ikeja Lagos recently. Indeed it was a
general feeling of all the professional bodies who
swarmed the venue in a show of camaradiere
because they need it to distinguish themselves as
against the poor maintenance management the
country all over is suffering from.
The NIOB members in their bid to make the
building and construction industry a safe
environment retreated with the thinking on Facility
Management and its effects in their industry.
The AGM which attracted virtually all the allied
professional bodies who showed the spirit of
comradeship that now exists among them also
depicted the acceptance of the new course that cuts
across all the professions in the industry as
everyone tended to give approval to this new
approach as against maintenance management
previously known and practiced which seemed not
to have led the industry anywhere.
In his welcome address the Chairman of the
chapter, Mr. Jelili A. Akinpelu observed that
maintenance culture in buildings, structures and
infrastructural facilities in the built environment
had degenerated geometrically. This he said
prompted the institute in focusing on the theme-
“Facility management in the building construction
industry”. This he said was with the view to
deliberate on the role of builders in facility
management and inter-relationship between asset
management and maintenance management.
He observed that facility management as a
profession encompasses multiple disciplines to
ensure functionality of the built environment in
integrating people, places, process and
technology. He, therefore, said that the
expectation was that facility management
would support building construction
industry by positively impacting on the
values of constructed facilities through
strategic and tactical facilities management
solut ions that wi l l de l iver cos t
effectiveness throughout the building
phases of the building project.
On the place of facility management, he
said it was supposed to add to the longevity
of the building and play a major role in the
planning stages such that it could forecast
the performance of the building at the
commissioning and utilization stage to
satisfy the end users of the building.
In his keynote address at the occasion, the
Chairman of the Council of Registered
Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Prof.
Kabi ru Bala , acknowledged the
contributions of allied professional bodies
to the development of the fledgling body.
He pointed out that facility managers are
professionals who are actively involved in
keeping the facilities in the built
environment functionality adding that they
usually preserve infrastructure through
their concern with the state of the facility
right from design to deconstruction.
He listed their roles to include interaction
with the various functional units of the
organization and with an organisation's
core and supporting businesses on a
regular basis to determine facility
requirements.
They also improve the services of
organizations through benchmarking and
matching external factors such as
competitors' plan to the core business;
develop short and long term goals while
strategizing and creating a policy
framework.
He equally disclosed areas of operation
where facility managers operate including
planning and project management,
operations and maintenance, quality
assessment and innovation, leadership and
management. Others are human and
env i ronmenta l f ac to rs , f inance ,
communication and technology.
He challenged them to master the core
domains for facility managers since this
will benefit not only the individuals but the
organizations that employ their services.
He said, “As such,
facility managers must continuously strive to
enhance the performance of buildings to make
safer, healthier, more comfortable more
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FACILITY MANAGEMENT
Picture shows the Mobil House adjudged as one of the best managed buildings under facility management
durable, easier, faster and less expensive to
construct, and to a greater extent easier to manage
and maintain.”
In his words, “I wish at this juncture to
acknowledge the immense contributions being
made by FM practitioners, and especially the
Nigerian chapters of the International Facilities
Management Association (IFMA) and other sister
professional bodies like the Nigerian Institute of
Quantity Surveyors, the Nigerian Society of
Engineers and the Nigerian Institute of Architects.
Their inputs in propagating the practice of FM
through public lectures, workshops, conferences
etc have gone a long way towards making the built
environment safer haven.”
He noted that irrespective of the perception of
people in FM, it has brought a new understanding
that a coordinated and integrated approach to a
range of business activities can add value to an
organisation's process.
He stated that facilities managers are professionals
who are actively involved in keeping the facilities
in the built environment functional and preserve
infrastructure through their concern with the state
of the facility from design to deconstruction.
He listed their roles to include interaction with the
various functional units of an organisation as well
as with an organisation's core and supporting
businesses on a regular basis to determine facility
requirements. It also includes improvement of
services of an organisation through benchmarking
and matching external factors such as competitors'
plan to the core business; short and long term goal
development and strategising and creating a policy
framework.
He also pointed out areas where facility
management has contributed in giving a face lift to
the building and construction industry to include
standardisation as it creates standards in allocation
of space, furniture among others just as it does to
data collection that would be uniform, strategic
and complete, electronic project management and
data integration.
Perhaps the most moving part of the Annual
Conference/AGM was the investiture of the
number one builder in the country, Otunba Fatai
Isola Osikoya. In a moving ceremony, the 86 year
old Nigeria's first professional builder fought back
tears unsuccessfully calling to memory how he
was the only builder in the country and other parts
of the continent for five years running.
He paid tribute to late fellows of the institute
Builders Elebiju and Ajala whom he said later
joined him to fight for the establishment of the
institute and the accord of recognition by the
Nigerian government. He remembered with
nostalgia the fight for supremacy between the
architects and the builders and praised the
professionals for the bond of unity under which
they operate now.
He spoke against the backdrop of collapsed
buildings that dots the landscape of the building
industry and urged the builders to help check the
ugly incidence by ensuring the right things are
done. He encouraged them to make sure the right
mixture is observed in concrete mixes and block
moldings saying that the maximum should be one
bag of cement to 25 blocks and not one to 40 or 45.
“Stop these killings” he cried out.
The number one builder was the first president of
the Nigerian Institute of Building on its formation
in 1967. He also became the first chairman of the
Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria on its
inauguration in 1990.
Otunba Osikoya's move to the top of the
profession did not come on a platter of gold but
through hard work. In 1952, he had left the shores
of this land to England to study Building
Engineering at the famous Brixton School of
Building now The University of South London.
He was a government scholar having been
awarded the Western Regional government
scholarship in 1954.He graduated in 1957 and was
admitted as a member of the British Institute of
Building. By this he became the first Nigerian and
African to become a member of this body. He also
became a corporate member of the Building
Surveyors Institute the same year. He won many
laurels and in 1980, he became a fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Building and in 2001 was
admitted a Fellow of the Associations of Building
Engineers of England.
On his return to Nigeria in 1957, he joined the
Shell Company of West Africa which later
became the National Oil and Marketing Company
Limited and now Conoil Plc. He occupied so
many positions until he retired in 1970 to form his
own company Fisko Construction Engineering
Co. Ltd.
Also speaking earlier at the occasion, the Lagos
State Commissioner for Physical Planning and
Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde paid
glowing tributes to his builders compatriots for
organizing such a programme that brought all the
allied professionals together.
He pointed out that what they need in the industry
now is to tell themselves the truth that they the
practitioners have come to a point where they
have to discuss that everyone has a role to play. “It
is good that all the professionals in the industry
are here today. We must rise above sectoral
considerat ion because we l ive in an
interdependent environment,” he said.
The Commissioner stated that his ministry was
bent on making all government agencies in the
built environment relevant. He observed the
general concern for the environment and decried
the disintegration of the environment. He stated
that it was this concern that led the Lagos State
Government to establish the office of Facility
Management in the Ministry of Works and
Infrastructure. He noted that they have a
philosophy to start with themselves.
The President of the International Facility
Management Association (IFMA) of Nigeria,
Mrs. Iyabo Aboaba said Facility Management is
the after sales services from beginning and needs
to be involved from the beginning of the building.
She added that the building is handed over as a
facility and urged the professionals to have details
and integrity.
The IFMA president urged the professionals not
to do anything on individual basis. She noted that
the purpose of facility management is to make the
facility last longer. She therefore charged them to
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PROJECTBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
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New Estate Agents Association
berths Alabi Olamide reports
President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) Mr. Emeka Eleh,
presenting the code of conduct of the newly inaugurated Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria (AEAN)
to Hon. Jimoh Alao, Special Adviser to the Lagos State governor on Housing,
while Mr. Chudi Ubosi & Dr. Patunla-Ajayi look on
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
state agents can now
Ebreathe air of relief as the
Nigerian Institution of
Estate Surveyors and Valuers
(NIESV) inaugurates the Association
of Estate Agents in Nigeria (AEAN)
to allay the fears of the stakeholders
and integrate them into the real
practice as demands by the institution
and clean up the industry of bad eggs.
The industry has over the years
suffered from quacks who pose to
undiscerning members of the public
as qualified professionals thus
bringing the industry to ridicule.
The president, Nigerian Institution of
Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Mr.
Emeka Eleh who spoke at the
occasion said there was need to
enhance the public image of the
organisation through the association
by safe guarding the consumers from
dubious practitioners who pose as
certified estate practitioners.
This now allays the fears of the public
that the formation of the new body
does not mean multiplicity of
associations. He rather noted that
since NIESV is a national institution
that midwifed AEAN, stakeholders
need not worry.
Earlier in his address, Chairman of
the new arm of the institution, Mr.
Chudi Ubosi, disclosed that it is the
need to create a standard in the
industry that gave birth to AEAN
promising that there will be adequate
training for stakeholders in the
industry through AEAN so that
practitioners in the industry can serve
the public better.
Mr. Ubosi, confirmed that the
association opens opportunities to
Secondary School Leavers, 'though
they will be trained and at the end of
the day, they become certified estate agents', he said. The goal
of the association, he said was to bring sanctity to the
profession.
The association chairman stated that AEAN has no issues with
other allied associations; rather it will strive only to achieve its
goal, which includes capacity building for members.
Hon. Jimoh Alao, Special Adviser to the Lagos State
Governor on Housing, expressed his joy at the emergence of
the association. He said, “This association should have been
in existence earlier than now and it should have been the
mother of all other associations related to the real estate
industry”.
He implored the association to build a sustainable relationship
with the government so as to aid in the achievement of its goal
adding that the association must meet up with its objectives
which include accountability, transparency and as well build
the public's confidence in estate agents.
Hon. Jimoh assured the association of the State Government's
support even though there are other similar associations. He
assured that the state government will be glad to work with the
association in solving the problem of miscreants that pose to
undiscerning clients as estate agents. He said the government
will address through the Real Estate Transaction Department,
advising practising estate agents in NIESV to register with the
association.
Kogi awards N632.7 Million road contractsKogi State government has announced its award of N632 .7 mi l l i on road contracts of three new roads in Lokoja township. This disclosure was made in a statement issued in Lokoja, which stated that the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada has mandated that, Messrs KAIBO Nig. Ltd ensure the completion of the project within eight months.
According to the statement signed by the governor's Special Adviser on media, Mr Jacob Edi, the governor has also assured thecitizens o f t h e m a s s r o a d e v e l o p m e n t a n d m a i n t e n a n c e h i s government intends to embark upon in 2014, and he has as well sought the participation of private s e c t o r t o w a r d s t h i s endeavour.
Wada also reaffirmed that the reconstruct ion of Ageya-Ogori road started by the started in the middle of the 2013 had been c o m p l e t e d a n d t h e rehabilitation of Kabba and Okura/Okaba township roads were still ongoing.
He also disclosed that the state has initiated the process of awarding the contract for the construction of Lokoja-Eggan-Buddon Road advising prospective contractors to ensure they abide by the specifications for construction and deliver quality jobs for the benefits of the citizens.
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HOUSING
Stakeholders task Govt on Housing- demand Intervention fund
The Supervising Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Muhammed Sada being led by the President of NIESV, Mr Emeka Eleh to the
Housing Summit.
- Dachi Maduako reports
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
he big question agitating the minds
Tof many Nigerians on the short
fall in housing stock put at
between 15 million and 17 million is how
to tackle this by meeting all the necessary
factors such as land, legal constraints and
access to affordable finance. These were at
the fore when the National Housing
Summit held at Abuja recently.
Organised by the Faculty of Housing of the
Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors
and Valuers (NIESV) in collaboration with
the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and
Urban Development, the participants took
the blame for poor output in the sector to the
doorsteps of the government saying that not
much in terms of funding is forth coming
from the government; thus, demanding for
an interventionist fund to be pushed into the
sector to be able to salvage what is left of
housing in the country.
The Fourth President of the institution and
first General Manager of the Federal
Housing Authority (FHA), Mr. S. P.O
Fortune Ebie fired the first salvo when he
noted that the government had come up
with interventionist funds to salvage some
other sectors of the economy including
Agriculture, Power, Aviation and even
Nollywood and other sectors. He noted that
the attitude of succeeding governments had
been that of “benign neglect” of the housing
sector.
He stated that the ministry is one of the
smallest with only two parastatals so, could
not have constituted any problem except
from what we have today where the
ministry receives budgetary allocation that
is too low to do anything.
Fortune Ebie who presided over the summit
said it was now the turn of the housing
ministry to benefit from such an
intervention which would turn around the
fortunes of the people as this would create
job opportunities among other benefits. He
wants government to make practical
commitment on its level of intervention on
how much to commit to the sector as it did
to others.
He urged the government to crash the interest
rate charged by the Primary Mortgage
Institutions and write off the infrastructure cost
incurred by housing developers so as to make
housing affordable as was done by government
in FESTAC Town before the houses were
allocated by ballot which afforded both the rich
and the poor the opportunity to own houses
there.
But the Institution's President, Mr. Emeka Eleh
noted that the housing summit was instituted to
bring the housing question in the front burner to
attract change to the government's passive
attitude to housing matters in the country. For
him, housing should be well positioned to be
able to create wealth and the multiplier effect on
the economy.
“Housing should receive attention. It would
boost employment and create wealth. When
wealth is created, there will be political
stability,” Eleh said.
However, the Minister of Lands, Housing and
Urban Development, Arc. Musa Muhammed
Sada played the role of the mouth piece for the
government as he tried to play up the music of
government's concern for the provision of
adequate housing for the people. He added that
the President has demonstrated uncommon
passion for housing matters since inception of
this administration.
Arc Sada admitted that “Housing as an industry
in Nigeria is beset with many problems, some
of them operational and others institutional.
The main problems however, revolve largely
around access to land and absence of
s u s t a i n a b l e h o u s i n g f i n a n c e f o r
infrastructure.”
The Minister listed what could be considered as
the major strides of his ministry since inception
to prove what they have been able to do. These
include the securing of credit facility
amounting to US$300 million which would
create a robust mortgage sector and scale up
loanable funds for housing development.
He said, “In order to create a robust mortgage
sector to provide long term loanable funds for
housing, the Federal Government, working
with the World Bank and International Finance
Corporat ion, recent ly approved the
establishment of a Mortgage Liquidity Facility
for which a credit facility from the World Bank
amounting to USD 300 million has been
secured.”
Other areas he said his ministry had been
working hard to ensure the big housing
question was resolved to the benefit of the
people included the preparation of a Draft
Regulations to enhance the implementation of
the Land Use Act as prescribed in Section 46 of
the Act. When the regulations are approved by
the National Council of States will be
applicable nation-wide and would be expected
to reduce greatly the encumbrances that
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(Centre) The Supervising Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Musa Muhammed Sada, NIESV President Mr. Emeka Eleh (3rd Right)
and other members, in a group photograph.
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
common in land matters as well enhance
access to land for housing development.
As though preempting the later presentations
at the Summit, the minister reeled out other
attempts by his ministry to ease off the
encumbrances on land matters that tend to
draw back the wheels of progress in the
nation's housing sector. He pleaded for
patience on the review of the Land Use Act
which he said government was interested in
but would require some time to achieve. He
noted that the review would facilitate access
to land and ensure greater socio-economic
development of the country.
Knowing the bottlenecks the Land Use Act is
creating and the time it is taking, the minister
hinted that government through the
Presidential Technical Committee on Land
Reform is creating an avenue to reform the
land administration process to remove gaps
in the short run and other weaknesses in the
system by creating an efficient land titling
and registration regime. This will remove all
constraints to housing delivery.
He also listed progress made by his ministry
in producing the National Housing Policy
and the National Urban Development Policy
which had already been approved by
government. These policies he stated have
been designed to cause stakeholders in the
sector to play active roles in housing
development.
Earlier, the chairman of the housing faculty,
Chief Kola Akomolede stated that much has
to be done on housing and it was because of
the importance attached to affordable
housing, the new national housing policy had
to be deliberated on at both Abuja and Lagos.
He regretted that housing has not been given
the right position it ought to occupy in the
country which is why inadequate allocation
is made in the budget and is lower than what
obtains in other sectors.
In his reaction, Mr. Kunle Alonge frowned at
the social housing bill already at the national
assembly saying that if it is allowed to go the
way it is would not augur well with the
industry as there is nothing social housing in
it.
According to him the draft was the work of the
Ministry of lands, housing and urban
development. Part of his grouse with it is that
the government plans to through the bill be
engaged in direct construction of houses
instead of giving subsidy to private sector
operators to actualize the dream.
Speaking on the “land factor in housing
production,” The 17th President of the
Institution, Mr. Nweke Umezurike pointed
out the need for good land policy and secure
tenure. He noted that “everyone has a
relationship to land. It is an asset that with its
associated resources allows its owner access
to loans, to build their houses and to set up
small businesses in cities. In rural areas land is
essential for livelihoods, subsistence and food
security. However, land is a scarce resource
governed by a wide range of rights and
responsibilities.”
He recalled the recommendations of the
African Ministerial Conference on Housing
and Urban Development to governments on
land which the country should pursue
seriously to bring a change in land matters.
These include to promote security of tenure
for all by identifying intermediate tenure
arrangements to facilitate access to land and
security of tenure for people living in
informal settlements and move away from
individual titling alone.
He also called on government to develop
innovative land administration systems that
are based on cost-effective technologies and
the human resource realities of Africa as well
as simplify land records and develop them in
an incremental manner.
Other things he pointed out should be done to
improve land tenure in the country includes
the legalization and enforcement of new
innovative laws to improve women's and
vulnerable groups access to land and to
secure their property rights, establish
measurable national goals to assess progress.
He called for rights of occupancy to be
strengthened by recognition and registration
as forms of title even if they have not been
known to exist anywhere else.
In addition. Mr. Umezurike called for an
enabling environment for the effective
supply of building land which would have
good re l i ab le t i t l e and adequa te
infrastructure including roads, water and
electricity at affordable price.
He wants the planning policies to be sure that
approvals can be relied upon by developers
so as to remove the fear of demolition after
development adding that government at all
levels should embark on special housing
programmes to take care of the urban poor
and rural developers.
He wants the issue of site and services to be
put in place for various groups with different
plot sizes to serve the different groups just as
he advised government to resist the
temptation of using excessive power of
compulsory acquisition to acquire lands that
would have otherwise been available for
development.
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Collapsed Buildings, Our Boot Pains:
The Lagos Experience-Eric Uzorchukwu
HOUSING
Another site of collapsed building
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
esides the residential and shelter
Bprov i s iona l func t ions o f
buildings, they perform other
functions like commercial, educational,
industrial and institutional functions. A
good building in addition should be able to
provide security, safety to lives and
properties, convenience and also social,
psychological and economic satisfactions
derived by occupiers or occupants.
For a building to perform these functions
effectively, certain vital precautions must
be taken. Contrary to these functions, some
buildings have remained a source of great
concern to occupiers, owners, developers,
governments, and physical development
planning authorities, consequent upon
their incessant failure and collapse.
The question then is, why are buildings that
are supposed in its functionality to be a
great source of comfort, security, shelter,
satisfaction etc turn to be the arrow in the
bow that fills our boots with pains?
Many factors have been spotted as the
major reasons for distressed buildings and
the consequent collapse. According to
Ayininuola building failure or collapse is
an unacceptable difference between
expected and observed performance of
building components. Building collapse or
failure could either be structural or
cosmetics.
Cosmetics collapse he says occurs when
there is an addition or subtraction to the
original plan of the building, thus, leading
to the failure or collapse of the building
while structural failure affects both the
outlook and structure stability of the
building. Failure occurs in a building when
the building can no longer be relied on fully
to perform its basic and principal
functions. Such building is regarded as
distressed buildings.
It has been discovered that inadequate
funding for housing in Nigeria and the
growing housing deficiency are the major
reasons behind the continuous emergence
of distressed buildings in Nigeria. The
indices of the emergence of distressed
buildings and collapse occurrences in
Lagos are on geometric progression.
The obvious manifestation of distressed
buildings in Lagos and negligence is the
reason behind the frequent collapse. More
often than not houses in the major
metropolis of Lagos show such distresses
like weakened foundation, cracked walls,
ceilings and roof. These more often signify
overall defects in the structural stability of
buildings which, if not checked, results in
progressive collapse.
Another major factor resulting to the
distress of buildings in Lagos is the
growing greed to add additional structures
not originally included in the plan of the
buildings by developers and greedy Lagos
landlords. This addition becomes a source
of distress to the foundation of such
buildings which are not constructed to
carry the additional structural weight.
Added to the reasons adduced earlier is the
issue of lack of maintenance of old
structures. Perhaps a more heart breaking
problem the sector is going through
collapse of buildings is collapse of
buildings under construction. Much of the
reasons for this can be attributed to
incompetence on the part of the builders
and the use of inferior materials or under
estimation of construction budgets. The
high incidence of building failure or
collapse in Lagos besides other factors
could also be linked to the ecological status
of the topography, composition of
technical components, social factors,
economic factors, engineering factors,
human factors, and governmental and
government policies.
Between 2010 and 2013 several cases of
collapsed buildings both those under
construction and those completed have
been reported. In 2011 alone, Lagos
recorded about 10 collapsed buildings
made up of three ongoing structures, one
new building and six old buildings. These
site of collapsed building
68
Rescue operations at a collapsed building site
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
were the houses that collapsed both at
Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland. Many
more incidences of building collapse had
also occurred in Lagos in 2012 and 2013
and many lives and property have been lost
in the process. Many victims have become
disabled, and many others suddenly
homeless.
The Lagos state government in its
determination to checkmate this incidence
has sealed off about 1800 properties across
the Lagos metropolis and are even ready to
demolish these houses to avert further
occurrence of collapse in the state. For
instance, a two storey building along Ajayi
Road Ogba, Ikeja, was demolished for
posing danger to lives and property of the
occupants because of noticed cracks.
The General Manager, Lagos State
Building Control Agency (LASBCA),
Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun who recently
addressed journalists on the issue noted
that “We have sealed about 1,800
properties and there is no one to come and
claim them. The owners are not
forthcoming and if there is no one to claim
them, it means we have the right to go and
remove them. People should come to
LASBCA, no matter the situation, to get
advice. Some of them have removed our
seals and they are going to be prosecuted.”An eye witness who witnessed the 2012 house collapse at Block M20, Jakande Housing Estate, Oke-Afa, Isolo, Lagos, which claimed the lives of two sisters – Toyin and Coker, explained that the building started showing signs of collapse a year before the incidence. He noted that there were obvious traits like cracks and sinks yet the occupiers were very reluctant to vacate the building.
To put all these in check, the Lagos State
Building Control Agency are putting
measures on ground to forestall further
occurrence of this menace. They have
carried out structural weakness tests on
some housing estates at Oke-Afa, Ipaja,
Epe, Lekki, Iba and Agege (Jakande
Housing Estates). Many of the buildings
found within the estates have been certified
to be distressed buildings and the agency is
raving to take necessary actions to avert the
occurrences of further collapses in the
state.
Within 2013, several cases of collapsed
buildings have been reported and
confirmed in different parts of Lagos
metropolis. It has been gathered that about
twenty people lost their lives in collapsed
buildings last year and several others
injured. Some of these areas are Surulere,
Ebute Metta, Oshodi and Ojodu.
In September 2013, another sad event also
occurred at Ali Street at Lagos Island as a
three storey building collapsed claiming
the lives of a seventy five year old man,
four year old girl and a trader who was
reported by an eye witness to have been
sleeping in his shop on the ground floor of
the building when the collapse happened.
The Lagos government has been making
laudable efforts to forestall further
occurrences of collapsed buildings. The
Fashola led administration recently
announced the redevelopment of the
distressed buildings at Adeniji Adele
Housing Estate in the central Lagos.
Reacting to the situation, the third Vice
President of the Nigerian Institute of
Building (NIOB), Mr. Kunle Awobodu
said for years they had been working on the
issue noting that the causes were testable
and not all that dynamic. “They are still
static in the sense that we still look at poor
workmanship, quackery in the industry
which is reigning supreme, poor quality of
materials i.e use of substandard materials
and in the coastal areas some people don't
appreciate the importance of sub – soil
investigation and ignorance and poverty
that are still playing important roles here.
These can be attributed to some of the
failures we have had in recent times.
“The numerous factors boil down to the
fact that we are not following due process
in construction. For instance if you look at
our developing estates in most parts of the
country, or areas that are developing,
where buildings are springing up, you
hardly have professionals involved in the
production process of building. And those
who claim to be managing the production
process are never trained. I don't know
why we allow ignorance to be in dominion
in our milieu,” he said. '
He pointed out that addressing these
causes led to series of conferences,
seminars, workshops on building collapse
without much result adding that from the
angle of capital approach to attack this
syndrome led them to organise and raise
awareness among the people.
These efforts led to the setting up of
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Enugu showcases Lifestyle &
Golf city Estate-Eric Uzochukwu
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
Residential apartment goes beyond providing shelter. It should in its
functions also provide some level of comfort and luxury. The Centenary
City of Enugu has remained a cool and outstanding city with the
introduction of the lifestyle and golf city. The luxury, serenity and security the city
provides make it the new hub for real estate investment in Nigeria. The advocacy for a
green environment in every major city in Nigeria is seeing the light of reality in the cool
city.
Strategically situated and sitting magnificently on the large hectares of rolling green
savannah is one of the most luxurious estates in the world. Enugu lifestyle and golf city
is the premiere lifestyle city in the sub Sahara Africa, with its design to appeal to every
mind. The green estate which has the Udi hill picturesque backdrop covers about 1,097
hectares; the city is characterized by vintage layout and a rare fine blend of
functionality that impeccably connects living with sustainable grandeur. Unique
selling point of the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City is designed around the style and
comfort offered by most advanced cities of Europe whilst retaining the broad African
influences. The Enugu Lifestyle and
Golf City will be the best place in
Nigeria to live, work, learn, play and
s h o p . T h e s t r u c t u r e s a n d
infrastructure are constructed with
cutting edge and cost effective
technology that accentuates the
finesse and sustainability.
Every housing unit at the Enugu
Lifestyle Golf and City is a finely
crafted piece of beautiful mosaic
fashioned to provide maximum
shelter, comfort and security. The
basic facilities with the introduction
of new innovative and extra
functional building technologies are
the canons of the infrastructure
inherent in the city. The architectural
designs of these houses are designed
to meet every need and functions of a
house. The spatial aesthetics that
characterize the unit is another
outstanding feature of the city. For
instance, the Rose Garden is situated
on a land size of 1,171-1,326 square
meters and the Carnation Gardens
also occupies a land size of 618 – 801
square meters. Many more of
housing units with big land sizes are
in the city.
At Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City,
every space provides its own
elegance and matchless fabulous
views. It is a city with efficient
management, strict design and
development standards that will all
together ensure consistent superior
quality city on delivery.
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(from R) Governor Ibikunle Amosun with his deputy, Hon. Prince Segun Adesegun standing for the recitation of the national anthem
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
Ogun State Homeowners’ charter debuts ...C of O now costs N95, 000
Governor Ibikunle Amosun on his arrival at the launching of the Homeowners’ Charter
gun State, a South West state of Nigeria in December 2013,
Omoved to break the jinx where over 80 per cent of buildings in
the different local government areas of the state are illegally
built either without necessary title documents or on government land, by
launching a Homeowners' Charter which crashes formerly perceived
impediments associated with home ownership in the state.
The state is the next door neighbor to Lagos state, a former capital territory
of the country where land is “gold” and is also believed to be endowed
with vast land whose value is rising constantly while less than 20 per cent
is legally registered with certificates of occupancy.
The State admitted that it had been on the losing side as it discovered lately
through satellite imagery devise that most of the areas in the state thought
to be rural are now more urban than the known urban areas of the state.
Their populations had increased so much and the number of buildings
grown to unimaginable bounds yet the government had not fared better as
it claimed the required revenue accruable to the state was not forth coming
just as the population has shot up rapidly.
To check this huge loss in revenue, the government had established
Homeowners' Charter under which a four bedroom bungalow in any urban
area in the state will now cost as low as N95, 000 to process all the
documents and approvals and the all important Certificate of Occupancy
(C of O). This is against the whooping N430, 000 it used to cost to process
the documents. Also to be enjoyed in this new dimensioned government
intervention is what could be termed forgiveness for virtually majority
home owners in the state who have built without the necessary permits and
possession of the all important C of O.
The state government under the administration of Governor Ibikunle
Amosun had embarked on setting up of a satellite system – Geographic
Information System (GIS) which is a reliable data gathering
system that gives on the spot information. The geographic
information system is a system designed to capture, store,
manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of
geographical data.
With this in place such daunting revelations opened the eyes
of the government to know the import of intervening in this
money spinning venture. It therefore, decided to come up with
the scheme.
According to Governor Amosun, “The administration viewed
that these results were too wide to be neglected as the long
term planning of the state was being hindered”. He listed the
findings to include that significant records show that the
number of property in some local government areas are far
more than what is on record in the offices.
Issues relating to land in the state had been bedeviled by so
much irregularity including residential buildings not having
approved building plans, illegal buildings on government
land, Ogun State properties being under valued in comparison
with their closest rival state Lagos, illegal buildings on
government land, and many home owners finding it difficult
to process the C of O and the required three years tax
clearance among others. All these the governor declared had
been waived for property owners who take advantage of the
new Homeowners charter.
The Governor stated that the issues on ground motivated the
action by the state saying that it was time for the state to “take
the bull by the horn to know the number of people and the
number of housing units in Ogun State”. This he said was
following a friendly relation with the people as the penalties
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Dachi Maduako & Olumide Alabi
HOUSINGBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
for building without approval will be
waived by his administration and the cost
of registering for all the legal documents
will be coming at a very minimal rate.
According to him, the initiative goes
beyond money generation; it was initiated
to serve as a fulcrum to help landowners
get their legal land documents through an
easy process and at a reduced cost. He
disclosed that various Homeowners'
Charter Centres have been created all
across the local governments to help
reduce the stress of following long
processes in acquiring the documents.
Explaining the plight of the state in
receiving allocation from the federal
government, he said owing to the
irregularities in the data of housing units
in the state which has been caused by non-
registration of certain housing units, the
allocation received from the central
government does not cater enough for the
rapidly growing number of the populace.
Ogun State properties, he said had also
been undervalued compared to similar
properties in neighbouring states. This he
said were the ripple effects of not duly
procuring ownership rights of properties
by citizens in the state
The practice of building without approval
he pointed out has over the last ten years
become a norm and well orchestrated. The
reason he said was because over the years
a belief had been formed by the populace
that once the building is constructed,
government can do nothing. He said, the
consequences of building without
approval were extremely serious as they
end up lacking essential infrastructure
such as water, schools, health and
environmental facilities and good roads.
“Other relative issues are the inundation of the
courts with issues relating to property
ownership which could have been curtailed if
the due processes were followed. Planning for
the medium and long term of the citizens of
the state have as well been hampered by the
lack of data, as a result it has rendered
planning impossible. These challenges having
been carefully considered gave rise to the
design of the Homeowners' Charter,” he said.
Also corroborating the Governor's data that
revealed that less than 20 per cent of the entire
houses in the state have building plan, the
Special Adviser to the Governor and Director
General Land Bureau, Mr. Adewale
Oshinowo gave reasons for the initiative
stating for instance that in Agbado environ of
Ogun State, less than 30 per cent of the over
135,000 housing units in the area have legal
documents. This worrisome situation he said
was revealed as a result of a local study
conducted through the Ogun State
Geographic Unit which was also corroborated
by World Bank Report on doing business in
Ogun State in 2010. The report he said
adjudged that the cost of registering
properties was high and has been a defect to
housing delivery in the state.
Mr. Oshinowo said the situation brought with
it problems like litigation, demolition and no
transferability of such properties which
inadvertently affect the home owners from
using them to seek aids from financial
institutions.
Also, the challenges encountered in
evaluation of properties in the state all gave
room for this development. The initiative, he
promised will help to ensure the security of
tenure for landowners.
To make this initiative workable, he
disclosed that the administration has
r e s t r u c t u r e d t h e O g u n S t a t e
Geographic Information System and
the Bureau of land and Survey to ensure
the computerization of these two
bodies before the end of the first quarter
of 2014, thus making the structure
serve as a one-stop shop for all matters
relating to land use in the state.
He therefore implored the citizens to
ensure that they procure ownership
rights for their properties
Financial institutions and built
environment professional bodies are
partnering with the state government
on the project. They include FCMB,
Skye Bank, First Bank, Sterling Bank,
WEMA Bank, GTB and Gateway
Savings and Loans who applauded the
governor for the initiative, promising to
ensure that they would help landowners
with financial loans to get their legal
documents.
Present at the event were other
associations and institutions including
Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA),
Nigerian Institute of Town Planners
(NITP), Nigerian Institute of Building
(NIOB), Nigerian Institution of Estate
Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) whose
state chapter leaders pledged to work
with the state to actualize the dream.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun opening the first Homeowners’ Charter Centre in the State Secretariat
residents of Ogun State trooping into the Homeowners’ Charter Centre
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ROADS
Lagos-Ibadan dual carriageway contract: A leap from the doldrums
President Goodluck Jonathan on the wheels as he flags off the Lagos Ibadan Expressway contract
-Dachi Maduako reports
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
The flagging –off of the contract
for the reconstruction and
expansion works on the Lagos-
Ibadan dual carriageway by the second
half of last year by the President, Dr.
Goodluck Jonathan indeed is a true
expression of the people's long standing
desire to come out of the doldrums from a
road that has over the years stagnated due
to deteriorations and made the long
stretch a death trap for the users.
Within the life of this administration
Nigerians have been inundated by
promises of commitment to deliver better
road infrastructure to the nation in line
with the Transformation Agenda of the
Federal Government. People have
adopted the stance of “let's wait and see”.
What seemed to be a little conviction of
the seriousness of the administration on
road infrastructure had come when the
President ordered his foot soldiers at the
Works ministry earlier to fix all federal
roads and make them motorable.
The road, a major arterial route that links
the south west from Lagos to other parts
of the country with the south south and
the south east veering off at the Sagamu
interchange of the road and
other parts of the south west
continuing till Ibadan
where they begin to veer off
to other parts of the country.
I t really ensures the
distributive network of the
country's economy but how
far it served the purpose
was no longer satisfactory
to the road users.
Prior to the signing of the
new contract to two
contracting firms – Julius
Berger Nigeria PLC and
RCC, the road had been concessioned to
Bi-Courtney at a whooping sum of
N89.53 billion sum which it was to recoup
over 30 years through tolling charges. But
this was not to be as the firm could not
perform for years and the road continued
to depreciate and go down further.
However, the termination of that contract
came at a time Nigerians had become
terribly disgusted with the situation.
President Jonathan stated rather
apologetically that the delay of work on
that road which led to the hardship
experienced by users of the road,
especially those from the south west, was
not intentional on the part of the Federal
Government. He rather explained that
government had had to terminate the
concession agreement after four years of
alleged non-performance by the
concessionaire.
He said “Let me appreciate Nigerians,
especially more than the 50 per cent users
of the key economic players in the south-
West form Lagos to Ondo State that use
this road for the pains witnessed over this
period. It was not the intention of the
Federal Government but because of the
contractual arrangement that the
government entered into with Bi-
Courtney”.
The President also stated that 'the
reconstruction was expected to accelerate
the economic development of Nigeria and
that the Federal Government would
mobilize the necessary funds to ensure the
completion of the project in 30 months,
although the contractors have been given
a 48-month timeline to complete it”. He
pledged that the Federal Government
would not relent in its efforts to embark on
projects that would make life better for
Nigerians.
The Lagos – Ibadan expressway is the
first expressway to be constructed in the
country and was commissioned in August
1978. The road is part of arterial route A1
linking Lagos, the commercial nerve
center of Nigeria through Ibadan to the
Northern parts of the country traverses
three South- Western states of Lagos,
Ogun and Oyo states, which commences
at Ojota interchange through shagamu
junction, Ogere and terminates at Ojoo in
the city of Ibadan; a distance of 127.6km.
According to the Minister of Works Arc.,
Mike Onolememen the expressway is a
major artery that connects Lagos, the host
of major Nigerian sea ports, to other states
of the federation, and forms not only a part
o f the Trans -
Saharan Highway
that links Lagos
on the Atlantic
Ocean to Algiers
o n t h e
Med i t e r r anean
Sea, but also part
o f the Trans -
African Highway
l i n k i n g t h e
Atlantic City of
L a g o s t o t h e
Indian Ocean city
of Mombassa in
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ROADSBUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
east Africa through Cameroon and Central
Africa, the bifurcation point where the
ceremony took place, at the Shagamu
Interchange separates the two continental
highways.
Arc. Onolemenmen pointed out that
already the Federal Government has made
tremendous progress in the rehabilitation
and reconstruction of the Benin-Ore-
Shagamu Expressway, which on full
completion, will further reinforce the socio-
economic benefits to be harnessed from the
Lagos-Ibadan road reconstruction and
expansion project.
Giving account of federal government's
efforts to put the road in good shape, the
minister recounted that the Government
had entered into concession agreement with
Messrs Bi-Courtney in 2009 to develop the
section between Ojota old toll plaza in
Lagos and old Toll plaza in Ibadan, a
distance of approximately 105km under a
Public Private Partnership (PPP)
arrangement for enhanced quality of
service to all users of the highway in tandem
with International standards. He however
lamented that four years later, no real
progress was recorded while the road users
wallowed in hardship and constantly at risk
of accidents on the road.
He added that the frequent carnage on the
road by September 2012 and the frequent
loss of lives and man-hours was detrimental
to the economy, and urgent action needed to
be taken to remedy the situation was what
l ed the Fede ra l Governmen t to
consequently terminate the concession
agreement be tween her and the
concessionaire for failing to comply with
the provisions of the concession agreement.
Arc. Onolememen clarified that due to the
importance of the road to the country,
Federal Government had to deploy two
reputable road construction companies to
carry out emergency repair works on the
road, to ease public outcry saying the result
of the emergency intervention was
commendable as reflected in the improved
condition of the road at the time.
“In order to provide a lasting solution to the
condition of the road, the Federal Ministry
of Works commenced the process of
procurement contracts for Engineering,
Procurement and Construction (EPC) for
the full reconstruction and expansion of the
Expressway”.
The contract details the minister stated
followed due process. He said, “It was after
the opening and analysis of the bids, the
Federal Ministry of Works sought and
obtained Certificate of “No Objection” for
the Bureau of Public Procurement, (BPP)
for the award of the contracts in the total
contract sum of N167 billion with a
completion period of 48months to two
competent contractors, namely Massrs
Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and Reynolds
Construction Company Limited, who
emerged as successful bidders for section I
(Lagos-Shagamu Interchange) and
Section II (Shagamu Interchange-Ibadan)
respectively.”
On completion, the project will reduce
economic losses associated with accidents
and congestion, reduce travel times and
strengthen the South-West regional
economy and indeed the nation's economy,
a s i t b o o s t s r e g i o n a l i n d u s t r y
competitiveness and national productivity.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal
Government is committed to this project;
as it is not only important for the South-
West zone alone, but for the entire country
and sub-region at large. As such he stated
that the Federal Government will
collaborate with Private sector to ensure
that this project is adequately funded in
order to bring it to quick completion, far
ahead of the scheduled completion period
of 48 months.
he first phase of the 21 kilometre Enugu Monorail project is to cost$246 million T(N38.87 billion) This was announced by the consultant to the project, a Canadian-based engineering firm, Globim Corporation.In a statement issued by the Chairman
of the firm, Dr Jude Igwemezie, the first phase of the project would have six lines and is expected to be completed in three years. It would run from Gariki through Agbani Road, Coal Camp, UNTH Road, Ogbete Market, Zik's Avenue, back to Agbani Road and loopingon the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.He explained that the cost would cover building of the infrastructure and acquisition of sufficient trains to ensure viable operations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the project will be executed at no cost to the state government, while Globim will deliver over a concession period of 30 years from the initial opening and operation of the lines.The project would be 100 per cent financed by Globim Corporation, which would deliver the best, safe and most conducive intra-city transportation system.On completion, the train would have a minimum of four cars or coaches and six lines with a total capacity of 500 passengers at a speed of 80 km per hour.“This will be the lowest cost of any monorail of similar size and capacity ever built anywhere. In all, the 117-km equivalent single line monorail system in Enugu will cost approximately $1.5bn.“The monorail, which will be electrically powered on a straddle beam, will not depend on Nigeria's epileptic power supply, as diesel generators strategically located on the lines will power the trains,” the statement said.
According to the state Commissioner for Transport, Mr John Egbo the Enugu State government was satisfied with the expertise of Globim in rail engineering.He said, “They have more than 150 years experience in financing, manufacturing, building, managing profitable rail system in America.
“Globim intends to utilise its new TGM-01 train-set designed to provide a combined seating and standing capacity of 550 passengers.”Egbo said the train would be air conditioned, while passengers would be able to move from one car to another in the trains.He said that each train would be equipped with remote control, while anti-collision devices would be installed in them and tracks “to ensure that no two trains collide
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY74
Enugu Monorail project to cost $246 million
ROADS
Lagos ploughs N87 bn bond money to
infrastructure provision-Dachi Maduako reports
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
he N 87 billion Lagos State TGovernment sourced from
bonds at the capital market has
become a major source of funding for
its infrastructural facilities provision,
Infrastructure Quarterly can report.
This revelation was made by the state
Governor, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola
who said the money was used to pay
c o n t r a c t o r s f o r p r o j e c t s t h e
government embarked on. This he said
pointing out that there was nothing like
government money but a collective
purse contributed by all.
He made this revelation at Mushin
where he commissioned 16 roads in
December. Mushin is one of the Local
Governments in the state.
The Governor handed over the roads to
the communities warning in the
process that the people should adopt
more positive attitude towards public
facilities so as to ensure optimal use of
resource. He lamented the conversion
of roads and its setbacks to market,
sales points and workshops describing
the act as a gross abuse of public
facilities.
“Our roads are common property. How
we use them is our responsibility. We
must behave as responsible people by
avoiding trading on the roads or doing
car wash or mechanic works on the
roads,” he urged.
The Governor pointed out the
importance of effective partnership
between the government and the
people saying this will ensure
development. He assured the people
that his administration is committed to
delivering life changing projects while
also urging prompt payment of taxes.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY76
It will cost Nigeria a whooping N59.5
trillion to bridge the 17 million
housing unit deficits. This was
disclosed by the World Bank who said
this was due to the untapped
investment potentials in the country's
real estate sector.
Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria
(FMBN) had put the estimate to about
N56 trillion which is not too far from
The World Bank estimates.
Managing Director of Federal
Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN),
Mr. Gimba Ya'u Kumo, has said the
figure was based on a conservative
cost of construction at N3.5million
per unit.
According to him, the amount
required cannot be funded only
through the National Housing Fund,
but requires urgent funding from both
the government and the private sector.
This he noted informed why we
FMBN is exploring offshore funding
to boost financing for mass housing
which the nation urgently needs.
He pointed out that professionals have
identified other impediments to the
housing problems to the dearth of
housing provision in the country.
These include the Land Use Act of
1978 which puts the issue of land in
the care of state governors.
The World Bank listed other untapped
opportunities in the sector especially
financial institutions that can float real
estate funds; pension regulators who
can build a robust framework for real
estate funds investment; adaptive re-
use of properties by banks in the form
of converting properties and taking
stakes in new deals; opportunities for
hotels, events and recreational
centres, shopping malls, estates,
amongst others.
World Bank puts Nigeria's housing deficit at N60tr
Ear l i e r i n h i s addres s , t he
Commissioner for Works and
Infrastructure, Dr. Kadri Obafemi
Hamzat stated that the road projects
are part of the State government's
efforts at upgrading the socio-
economic infrastructure available in
Mushin, one of the identified less
developed communities of the State.
He stated that the delivery of the road
also challenges the notion that the
Fashola administration has only
concentrated on its road construction
efforts in certain areas adding that
construction work is all over the
State.
The roads commissioned included
Akanro/Ishaga, Akinyemi Crescent,
Badejo Kalesanwo Street, Olanibi
Ojekunle St reet , Kekereowo
Babalola Street, Ronke Street,
Akinlawon Street, Ajana Street,
Sadiku Street, Paul Okuntola Street,
Eniola Street, Apesin Street, Kelani
Street, Oyewuwo Street, Folarin
Street and Oke Onijo Street. The total
length of the roads is 10km.
The scope of work includes, drainage
and culverts, si te clearance,
walkways, earthworks, relocation of
services, kerbstone construction and
street lighting.
77
75
MATERIALS WATCH
Partitioning Clay Wares (Set of 3 pieces)
3.17 Size 50 - 200x50x330mm No 153.00 153.00 153.00 153.00
3.18 Size 75 - 125x75x250mm No 136.00 136.00 136.00 136.00
3.19 Size 100 - 200x100x330mm No 239.00 239.00 239.00 239.00
3.20 Size 150 - 200x150x330mm No 291.00 291.00 291.00 291.00
3.21 Size 200 - 200x225x330mm No 376.00 376.00 376.00 376.00
Load Bearing Clayware
3.22 Size 150 - 200x150x330mm No 336.00 336.00 336.00 336.00
3.23 Size 225 - 200x225x330mm No 456.00 456.00 456.00 456.00
4.00 QUARRY PRODUCTS
(Ex-quarry price, VAT & cost of delivery)
Granite
4.01 Hard Core 4” - 8” Tonne 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00
4.02 Stone Base 2” - 0 Tonne 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00
4.03 Aggregate 1” - 7/8” Tonne 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00
4.04 Aggregate 7/8” - 5/8” (3/4”) Tonne 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00
4.05 Aggregate 5/8” - 3/8” (½” ) Tonne 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00 2,300.00
4.06 Dust 3/8” - 1/4” Tonne 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00
4.07 Lumps Tonne 1,900.00 1 ,900.00 1,900.00 1,900.00
Gravel4.08 Washed Gravel Tonne 2,650.00 2,750.00 2,800.00 2,750.00
4.09 Unwashed Gravel Tonne 2,300.00 2,400.00 2,300.00 2,300.00
Sand4.10 Sharp Sand Tonne 3,750.00 3,800.00 3,750.00 3,750.00 4.11 Soft Sand Tonne 1,750.00 1,890.00 1,950.00 1,800.00
Filling4.12 Laterite Fillings Tonne 1,100.00 1,200.00 1,100.00 1,100.00
4.13 Broken Blocks Tonne 1,200.00 1,300.00 1,200.00 1,200.00
1.00 CEMENT
1.01 Portland cement per 50kg bag bag 1,750.00 1,700.00 1,750.00 1,750.00
1.02 Diito, per tonne jumbo bag tonne 35,000.00 34,000.00 35,000.00 35,000.00
1.03 Colored cement - white 40kg bag bag 3,500.00 3,800.00 3,000.00 3,000.00
1.04 Colored cement - red 25kg bag bag 2,000.00 2,500.00 2,000.00 2,000.00
1.05 Colored cement - green 25kg bag bag 2,300.00 2,800.00 2,500.00 2,500.00
2.00 BLOCKS
2.01 Sandcrete - block 225x225x450mm (9”x9”x 18”) No 160.00 170.00 160.00 160.00
2.02 Sandcrete - block 225x150x450mm (9”x6”x 18”) No 140.00 150.00 140.00 140.00
3.00 CLAY PRODUCTS (Prices includes VAT &delivery cost)
Sun Breakers
3.01 Double Curved Type ‘79 - 160x100x320mm No 120.00 120.00 120.00 120.00
3.02 Double Straight Octagonal 01 - 160x100x320mm No 156.00 156.00 156.00 156.00
3.03 Single Rectangular Type ‘99 - 195x100x195mm No 136.00 1 36.00 136.00 136.00
3.04 Fledor Type ‘83 - 225x100x225mm No 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00
3.05 Shamrock Type ‘80 - 225x100x225mm No 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00
3.06 Fledor Type ‘94 - 250x100x250mm No 142.00 142.00 142.00 142.00
Hollow Clay Pots Floor & Ceilings
3.07 Velox Type - 130x355x250mm No 261.00 261.00 261.00 261.00
3.08 Velox Type - 165x355x250mm No 285.00 285.00 285.00 285.00
3.09 Velox Type - 200x335x250mm No 327.00 327.00 327.00 327.00
3.10 Classic Type - 165x400x250mm No 304.00 304.00 304.00 304.00
3.11 Classic Type - 200x400x250mm No 327.00 327.00 327.00 327.00
3.12 Classic Top - 100x400x250mm No 215.00 215.00 215.00 215.00
3.13 Velox Beam Unit - 115x140x250mm No 117.00 117.00 117.00 117.00
3.14 Clay Facings For External Finishing x 66 Pcs Carton 1,775.00 1,775.00 1,775.00 1,775.00
3.15 Wall Facings x 11 - 60x15x250mm No 269.00 269.00 269.00 269.00
3.16 Corner Units - 60x125x250mm No 207.00 207.00 207.00 207.00
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
source: FOCIinfrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY78
MATERIALS WATCH
5.00 ROOFING
Corrugated Iron - (Prices includes VAT)5.01 Roofing Sheet (20 pieces) Bundle 8,500.00 8,500.00 8,500.00 8,500.00
FIBRE - CEMENT PRODUCTS (Prices excludes VAT)
Nigerite Roofing Materials
5.02 Nigerite Kolor 7 (1.8m) 6ft Sheet 3,311.00 3,311.00 3,311.00 3,311.00
5.03 Nigerite Kolor 7 (2.4m) 8ft Sheet 4,022.00 4,022.00 4,022.00 4,022.00
5.04 Nigerite Kolor 7 Ridge (Lower/Upper) Pairs 1,249.00 1,249.00 1,249.00 1,249.00
5.05 Crete Tile French & Mission Pairs 176.00 176.00 176.00 176.00
5.06 Crete Ridge Tile Pairs 237.00 237.00 237.00 237.00
5.07 Crete Edge Tile Pairs 310.00 310.00 310.00 310.00
5.08 Hip starter Pairs 272.00 272.00 272.00 272.00
5.09 Decorceil - Ceiling Tiles - (610x10x5mm) - Grey box of 16 tiles 5,675.00 5,675.00 5,675.00 5,675.00
5.10 Accoustile - Ceiling Tiles - (610x10x5mm) - White box of 16 tiles 8,993.00 8,993.00 8,993.00 8,993.00
5.11 Flat sheet 4’x4’ (1.22m x1.22m x 3mm) Sheet 1,011.00 1,011.00 1,011.00 1,011.00
5.12 Flat sheet 4’x4’ (1.22m x1.22m x 6mm) Sheet 2,564.00 2,564.00 2,564.00 2,564.00
5.13 Litespan (2pcs corrugated wing ridged) Pairs 446.00 446.00 446.00 446.00
5.14 Litespan (1.8m x 3.5mm thickness) Pairs 764.00 764.00 764.00 764.00
5.15 SLW - sheet (1800 x 1050 x 4mm) 6ft Sheet 1,635.00 1,635.00 1,635.00 N/A
5.16 SLW - 2 (2400 x1050 x4mm) 8ft Sheet 2,178.00 2,178.00 2,178.00N/A
5.17 SLW - 2 (2 piece corrugated wing ridged) Pairs 1,200.00 1,200.00 1,200.00 N/A 5.18 Super - 7 (1500 x 1097 x 4.5mm) 5ft Sheet 2,140.00 2,140.00 2,140.00 N/A
5.19 Fascia board (om 25 x 2m 44 x 8mm) 3,343.00 3,343.00 3,343.00 3,343.00
Long Span Aluminium Roofing Sheets (Prices includes VAT)
5.20 Queen baked (coloured) - 0.45mm meter/run 1,216.00 1,216.00 1,216.00 1,216.00
5.21 Ditto - 0.05mm meter/run 1,362.00 1,362.00 1,362.00 1,362.00
5.22 Ditto - 0.55mm p/m2 meter/run 1,491.00 1,491.00 1,491.00 1,491.00
5.23 Stucco mill (white) - 0.45mm meter/run 1,051.00 1,051.00 1,051.00 1,051.00
5.24 Stucco mill (white) - 0.05mm p/m run meter/run 1,118.00 1,118.00 1,118.00 1,118.00
5.25 Ditto - 0.55mm p/m run meter/run 1,229.00 1,229.00 1,229.00 1,229.00
6.00 WOODWORK (Open Market Prices)
Sawn Hardwood (Mahogany)
6.01 Mahogany - size 50 x 150 x 3600mm long Length 1,300.00 2,000.00 1,600.00 1,050.00
6.02 Mahogany - size 50 x 100 x 3600mm long Length 900.00 1,300.00 1,100.00 850.00
6.03 Mahogany - size 50 x 75 x 3600mm long Length 700.00 1,700.00 800.00 700.00
6.04 Mahogany - size 50 x 100 x 4200mm long Length 1,050.00 2,350.00 950.00 900.00
6.05 Mahogany - size 25 x 300 x 3600mm long Length 1,300.00 2,000.00 1,150.00 1,100.00
Opepe
6.06 Opepe - size 50 x 150 x 3600mm long Length 950.00 950.00 1650.00 1650.00
6.07 Opepe - size 50 x 100 x 3600mm long Length 700.00 450.00 800.00 850.00
6.08 Opepe - size 50 x 75 x 3600mm long Length 650.00 350.00 750.00 750.00
6.09 Opepe - size 50 x 100 x 4200mm long Length 900.00 1,000.00 1,150.00 1,150.00
Softwood
6.10 Afara - size 50 x 150 x 3600mm long Length 800.00 750.00 1,400.00 950.00
6.11 Afara - size 50 x 100 x 3600mm long Length 600.00 300.00 900.00 800.00
6.12 Afara - size 50 x 75 x 3600mm long Length 450.00 250.00 700.00 700.00
6.13 Afara - size 50 x 50 x 3600mm long Length 320.00 200.00 350.00 350.00
Plywood
6.14 White Plywood - size 18.75 x 1200 x 2400mm long Sheet 2,600.00 3,500.00 3,300.00 3,250.00
6.15 White Plywood - size 12.50 x 1200 x 2400mm long Sheet 1,950.00 2,800.00 2,400.00 2,300.00
6.16 White Plywood - size 6.25 x 1200 x 2400mm long Sheet 1,450.00 1,600.00 1,600.00 1,600.00
6.17 White Plywood - size 3.125 x 1200 x 2400mm long Sheet 900.00 1,400.00 950.00 950.00
7.00 NAILS
7.01 Nails - size 1/1.5” Bag 6,500.00 7,000.00 8,500.006,500.00
7.02 Ditto - size 2 / 2.5” Bag 4,800.00 4,800.00 7,500.00 4,000.00
7.03 Ditto - size 3” Bag 4,500.00 4,300.00 7,500.00 3,600.00
7.04 Ditto - size 4” Bag 4,500.00 4,300.00 7,500.003,600.00
7.05 Ditto - size 5” Bag 7,000.00 5,500.00 7,500.004,000.00
7.06 Asbestos Roofing Nails - 75mm 600.00 650.00 600.00Carton 3,000.00
7.07 Asbestos Roofing Nails - 100mm 750.00 800.00 850.00 850.00Carton
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
source: FOCIinfrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY79
EVENTS
Luxury Living fair attracts
Foreign Investors
Olamide Alabi, Infrastructure Quarterly, with Steve Ike,the organiser of the event
A visitor and an exhibitor
Unique Interiors Exhibition 27th Feb -1st Mar 2014-NigeriaUnique Interiors Exhibition & product Presentation now holds from 27th February-1st March 2014 at federal palace Hotel Victoria Island Lagos. according to the organizers it aims at making décor and design more accessible to a large number of visitors. It will also provide plenty of ideas on how to get a perfect look for decors. It is expected to attract in excess of 100 exhibitors and over 2500 v i s i to r s f rom re levan t organisations and markets.
F O C I B u i l d i n g , Construction & Mining Mart holds 4th-7th March, 2014-NigeriaThe construction mart which promises to attract over 10,000 visitors with a large number of exhibitors serves as the gateway to the Nigerian c o n s t r u c t i o n i n d u s t r y providing both exhibitors and visitors with the opportunity to conduct serious business w i t h l i k e - m i n d e d professionals, increasing investment and expansion opportunities. It will include a session of equipment demonstration to a select audience.
Build Expo 2014 holds2nd- 4th May 2014 in KenyaBuild Expo, Africa's Largest International Building and Construction Trade Fair will spread over three days, the mega event is the ideal forum for the international players in the industry to showcase products and services to the ripe African market. Trade visitors from all over East & Central African countries are being invited directly and in collaboration with several regional trade bodies in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, U g a n d a , S o m a l i a , Mozambique & Congo.
-Olumide Alabi reports
a section of the exhibition venue
a section of the exhibition venue
The maiden edition of Luxury Living Africa
2013 held recently at the Federal Palace Hotel
Victoria Island. The event, which was an
exhibition showcasing the best offerings from the
country's interior decorations industry, was borne out
of the need to provide information on the industry to a
public who were evidently starved of such
information.
According to Steve Ike, Head, Organising Committee
for Luxury Living Africa 2013, the exhibition drew
participation from various stakeholders in the interior
decoration industry coming up with different
admirable designs and home fittings ranging from
wardrobe designs, beds, chairs and lightings. Mr. Ike
however noted that Nigerians have failed to appreciate
exhibitions, especially those of this nature.
The event, according to Mr. Ike, is a celebration of
innovation in interior design technology and materials
in Nigeria, and that it is designed to showcase and
draw appreciation for the giant steps that the industry
has made in the past six years. The industry, he said has
grown in leaps and bounds as it is now experiencing
improvement in the quality of innovation and
creativity that can be compared to other parts of the
world, while acknowledging that “this is the growth
we have come into essentially”.
While answering the question why the event was fixed
for this period and in Lagos, he said, “the event came at
a very ideal period, because before we concluded on
making this event happen, we went out and had a
survey and we found out that Nigerians need this
event. They need a one-stop event place where they
can get all they need for interior designs in their
homes”.
Speaking further, he said exhibitions like these are
“avenues for people to have face to face contact with
people , o rgan isa t ions and
industries who want to sell to you
what you want to buy, especially in
Lagos which serves as the nation's
commercial nerve centre”.
Speaking on the challenges they
had to face in organizing this
event, he said Nigerians still do not
understand the benefits of
exhibitions and it has become a
duty for them to preach the gospel
of exhibition. He stressed on the
need for Nigerians to know that
real estate and interior designs is
an industry they need to invest in.
Expressing satisfaction with the
event's outcome, Mr. Ike said, “we
wish we had held this event earlier,
the tu rn-out has been so
encouraging and we can't wait for
the subsequent ones in Abuja and Port Harcourt”.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY80
FOCI’s 57th AGM and Construction Exhibition in pix
Visitors and exhibitors registration @ Visitors and exhibitors registration @ the registration point for the the registration point for the 57th FOCI AGM in Abuja 57th FOCI AGM in Abuja
Visitors and exhibitors registration @ the registration point for the 57th FOCI AGM in Abuja
The Philippines' Ambassador, Alex Lamadrid The Philippines' Ambassador, Alex Lamadrid
addressing stakeholders & exhibitors addressing stakeholders & exhibitors
@ The FOCI AGM & Exhibition during @ The FOCI AGM & Exhibition during
the stakeholders meetingthe stakeholders meeting
The Philippines' Ambassador, Alex Lamadrid
addressing stakeholders & exhibitors
@ The FOCI AGM & Exhibition during
the stakeholders meeting
One of FOCI members speaking with Builder One of FOCI members speaking with Builder Solomon Ogunbusola, FOCI president, during Solomon Ogunbusola, FOCI president, during at the 57th AGM in Abuja, Nigeria. at the 57th AGM in Abuja, Nigeria.
One of FOCI members speaking with Builder Solomon Ogunbusola, FOCI president, during at the 57th AGM in Abuja, Nigeria.
NBTE Executive Secretary, Kaduna State, NBTE Executive Secretary, Kaduna State, Dr Masa’ udu Kazaure delivering a lecture on Dr Masa’ udu Kazaure delivering a lecture on National Vocation Qualification FrameworkNational Vocation Qualification Framework
NBTE Executive Secretary, Kaduna State, Dr Masa’ udu Kazaure delivering a lecture on National Vocation Qualification Framework
Cross section of exhibitors and stakeholders Cross section of exhibitors and stakeholders @ the Stakeholders Meeting during @ the Stakeholders Meeting during FOCI 57th AGM & Exhibition in Abuja FOCI 57th AGM & Exhibition in Abuja
Cross section of exhibitors and stakeholders @ the Stakeholders Meeting during FOCI 57th AGM & Exhibition in Abuja
Senator Ashafa addressing stakeholdersSenator Ashafa addressing stakeholders
and exhibitors @ the FOCI AGM and exhibitors @ the FOCI AGM
Senator Ashafa addressing stakeholders
and exhibitors @ the FOCI AGM
0ne of the exhibitors explaining his products to visitors0ne of the exhibitors explaining his products to visitors0ne of the exhibitors explaining his products to visitors
EVENTS
1 7 t h A n n u a l B u i l d i n g ,
Construction, Mining & Water
Technologies Exhibition
2nd-4th May 2014
It is an event with the widest range
of fascinating technologies in the
s e c t o r s f o r c o n s t r u c t i o n
machinery, building-material
machines, mining machines,
cons t ruct ion vehic les and
construction equipment.
Venue: KICC, Nairobi, Kenya
CIBEX EAST AFRICA
11 - 13 February 2014
CIBEX East Africa is the main
E v e n t f o r C o n s t r u c t i o n ,
Infrastucture, Building and
Energy in Central- and Eastern
Africa. The Expo will take place in
the Kenyatta International
Conference Centre (KICC),
Nairobi with part icipating
companies from 12 countries
which include Belgium, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Finland, France,
Germany, Kenya, Poland, Sambia,
Tanzania, Uganda and United
Arab Emirates.
Venue: Kenyatta International
Conference Center.
HOMEX NIGERIA 2014
29 April - 1 May 2014
HOMEX NIGERIA 2014 offers
its privileged participants the most
cost-effective and efficient way of
gaining market share in the region
where supply and demand will be
brought together under one roof.
Nigeria will host the leading
producers in the sectors whereby
the exhibitors make the most of
accessing the entire African
market through this organization
and meet with key international
investors, domestic players,
p u b l i c o f f i c i a l s a n d k e y
distributors.
Venue: Ten Degrees, Plot A2,
Billingsway Road, Oregun, Ikeja
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY81
EVENTS
Housing Africa 2013
Technical Director GEMS II, Ronald Ashkin, one of the conference speakers
(L-R) Representative, Egypt Housing Minister(9th), Mr Darlington Ndubuisi, event host, Former Housing
Minister Aman Pepple with delegates after the conference
the former Housing Minister, Amma Pepple with anexhibitor
(L-R) Mr Darlington Ndubuisi (3rd), event host, Former Housing Minister, Amma Pepple
with delegates after the conference
Former Housing Minister, Amma Pepple addressing delegates
exhibitors exchanging contact at the event
Delegates discussing at the conference
An exhibitor attending to delegates
African Construction Expo
26 – 28 May 2014
Johannesburg, South Africa
African Construction Expo is a one-
stop-shop to show case, experience
and learn about the latest building
and construction methods, products,
tools and technologies in just three
days. The event will connect buyers,
suppliers, manufacturers and
service providers, providing a
platform to stay on the cutting edge
with the latest in new products and
equipment.
PROPAK West Africa
02 - 04 September 2014
Eko Exhibition Centre, Lagos
Specialized Exhibitions is proudly
hosting the highly successful trade
event of Lagos city of Nigeria. This
event will invite the enthusiastic
exhibitors from different regions to
showcase their wide range of the
innovative and technically sound
products, equipments and services
wi th environment sensi t ive
advancements and attract the
visitors by providing special
schemes and offers and establish
new bus iness r e l a t ions by
interacting with each other.
Buildmax Nigeria
09 - 11 September, 2014 | Lagos
offers its exclusive participants an
unmissable chance where new,
innovative technologies, solutions,
products, services and the next wave
of modernisation of the sectors will
be brought together from all around
the world to an audience of
s u c c e s s f u l a n d a s p i r a n t
entrepreneurs who have the
motivation and capital to invest in
new business ventures.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY82
s part of its drive to revamp the aviation Asector, the Federal Government has endorsed the proposal to build 11 new
international airport terminal buildings across the country. FEC therefore, approved N106 billion for the project at its recent meeting in Abuja.According to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, the approval which was made on one of its Wednesday executive meetings adding that it is an affirmation of the present ad min i s t r a t i o n ' s co mmi tmen t t o i t s Transformation Agenda. The minister, who made known this development said the new international terminal projects were different from the current
remodeling and reconstruction of 11 airports in the country. She said the 11 new projects would consist of five international terminals for commercial flights and six for perishable cargoes.
Oduah also said that the FEC had given approval
for the award of contracts for the “immediate
take off of construction work on the five
terminals for international flights. They are
Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Enugu.
The six perishable cargo terminals will be in
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and
Asaba.
FEC endorses N106 billion for new airport terminals
AVIATION
Proposed Lekki International Airport induces
infrastructural developments 2014 steps in it is expected that
Athere is going to be an unprecedented
upsurge of activities around Lagos
State Nigeria, as the development of the
proposed new Lekki International Airport
kicks off. Since the airport proposal came on
stage, there has been a beehive of activities in
the areas surrounding the proposed site.
The project in making has been attracting
attracting a lot of infrastructural developments
around the Lekki-Eti Osa-Epe corridor of the
state. The axis has been popularized by the
citing of such developmental projects such as
the Lekki Export Free Zone which is already
transforming the economic fortunes around it.
Apart from the value of land appreciating
rapidly around there, there have been lots of
infrastructural developments following along
the corridor and with the proposed airport,
many more are expected to find their way into
existence in the area.
Already, three consortia mainly involved in
development of infrastructure have indicated
interest in taking part in the bidding exercise
which is the first round of the bidding for the
construction. The infrastructure development
companies are Bouygues Batiment, Eko
Global and Maevis.
With the proposed airport, the number of such
facilities would now be two in the state, each
owned by the Federal government and the
state. The new airport would sit on 4,500
hectares of land. The first phase would have
three runways.
IQ learnt that both foreign and local
representatives of the bidding companies were
in the state and have been to the site to inspect
the area in which the proposed airport would be
located to have on the spot assessment of the
proposal. The visit would also give them the
opportunity to commence the preliminary
processes of the bidding and hold talks with
consultants and government officials.
Investigations by IQ show that 2014 would
unveil much activity as the preferred bidder
would be known by April. The reserved
bidders would also be disclosed. But the
signing of a concession agreement would be
by June while the financial close of deal would
be by September.
The airport construction is to be delivered as a
Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.
The State government is providing the land
and other complementary infrastructure,
while the eventual preferred bidder would
handle the work under a concession
agreement. The company would also
undertake the construction of the airport on a
Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Manage
(DBFOM) basis under a competitive tender
process and in accordance with international
best practice.
Observers who have been keeping watch over
the developments in the area believe that the
choice of the area for the airport development
was one in the right direction as there have
been serious investments in the corridor of
recent which would require the citing of an
airport to complement what is already ongoing
there.
Speaking on the project, the Lagos State
Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi,
said the concessionaire would be expected to
build the airport and its various components,
such as the runways, aprons, terminals, and
cargo facilities. Others are secondary roads,
water supply, fire-fighting station and
ntenance facilities.
To be built in phases, the first of the phases is
expected to be completed in four years by the
would be preferred bidder and would have an
initial passenger capacity of 3.2 million a year.
The airport is a Code F- compliant category
and would cater for A380 airbuses. It will be
designed in such a way to allow for future
expansion.
Four consulting firms are involved in the
airport project. Arup, a highly rated firm of
consultant engineers, designers, planners and
technical specialists is among them just as
Norton Rose Fulbright, a legal firm which
maintains 54 offices worldwide. Also
consulting for the state is Stanbic IBTC
Capital, a member of Standard Bank Group,
one of Africa's largest banking groups while
Banwo & Ighodalo, a Nigerian-based legal
firm is also involved.
About the consortia group of companies, the
Batiment International Consortium is a
subsidiary of the Bouygues Group. It is one of
the world's leading firms in the building, civil
works and electrical contracting and
maintenance sectors. The group is organised as
seven complementary entities and has
expertise in financing, designing, constructing,
maintaining and operating buildings and
structures. It is not new in the sector as it is
known to have successfully completed the new
Larnaka and Pafos International Airports in
Cyprus. Maevis is also reputed as a world-class
travel enhancement company, whose area of
specialization is on providing infrastructure,
systems, equipment and technology with
strong footing in the transport sector and
aviation industry.
Dr. Abubakar urged those who are directly or
remotely involved in road projects to take it as a
duty to enlighten the public on the activities
going on in the road sector and go further to tell
a success story.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY83
- John Hamilton
AVIATION
Abia Govt, Euro Asia Global Services meet over Airport
Ab i a Stat
e Governor, C h i e f T h e o d o r e O r j i h a s maintained t h a t h i s government i s se r ious a n d commit ted to achieving the proposed
Abia airport project.
Orji stated this at the state capital, Umuahia when he received in audience the Euro Asia Global services Ltd, technical partners to CGCOC China construction group that has indicated interested in the realization of the airport project.
Chief Orji said the airport project was a noble project, explaining that even if he did not complete it before leaving office; he would have initiated the process.
He said that the airport project was borne out of requests by Abia businessmen as it would boost the economy of the state and called on investors to start discussions with the airport committee with a view to signing a memorandum of understanding with the state government.
Already, land for the project has been secured in a centrally located area of the state. The Governor hinted that that the location is between Ikwuano and Olokoro in Umuahia south and assured the investors of government ' s willingness to provide them with the enabling environment to work.
Governor Orji described Abians as very resourceful people who have all it takes to have an airport, maintaining that the Sam Mbakwe airport, Owerri is mainly patronized by Abians.
He stated that he has confidence in the investors and advised them to show commitment towards actualizing the project in record time.
The governor also told them to open up discussions with the ministry of
petroleum on the establishment of a modular refinery in the state.
Earlier, the Chief Executive officer of E u r o A s i a G l o b a l s e r v i c e s Ltd.Folorunso Okenla said they were interested in partnering with the state in the realization of the Abia airport and thanked him for the opportunity to be part of the vision of leaving legacies in the state.
He pointed out that his company, which is a private indigenous company, has the expertise to deliver adding that they would also like to develop a modular refinery in the state.
He disclosed that Abia is a business inclined state and virtually all important businessmen and women at Aba travel a lot to other parts of the country or overseas for one business transaction or another to do business. At present they are facing the challenges of landing in neighbouring states and facing the hurdle of traveling by road to Abia State with its attendant hazards. He therefore, noted that building an airport in the state will checkmate these hazards.
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Aviation Minister frowns at abandoned projects The Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah has assured that no project under his ministry would be abandoned. She gave this assurance in Yola while on inspection of the Yola airport. Odua was on a two day inspection of the remodeling projects in airports across the country.
She decried the abandoned project syndrome in the past and noted in the aviation sector is very committed to the full and timely completion of projects started in late 2 0 1 1 u n d e r t h e A i r p o r t R e m o d e l i n g P r o j e c t i n i t i a t i v e .In a statement by his special Adviser on media, Mr. Joe Obi, the Minister said, ''When we came on board in 2011 and drew up our Master Plan and implementation Roadmap which had as its core components, the Airport Remodeling Project, we were charged by Mr. President to ensure that we complete every project we embark on. We assured Mr. President that we will see every project to its logical conclusion and we are committed to that promise. "We are fortunate to have his full support and the support of the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The result of that level of support is what you are seeing today. Not only have we completed, commissioned and put to use a lot of the remodeled airports, work on the remaining ones is at 95 per cent completion. So under my watch, no project we have commenced on will be abandoned'', the Minister assured.She said the Yola airport was very important and critical to the successful implementation of the transformation programme in the aviation sector as one of the designated Perishable Cargo centres, and disclosed that the Cargo terminal would be completed in the second quarter of this year.The Minster expressed happiness with the quality of work at the remodeled Yola airport, saying that when fully operational, the airport and its cargo facility will not only create thousands of jobs for the people of the state, but more importantly,
empower the rural farmers whose fresh produce will have access to both local and international markets. At the Sultan Abubakar 111 International Airport, Sokoto, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the remodeled airport, d i s c lo s ing t ha t gove rnmen t was constructing the biggest Pilgrim Terminal in the country at the airport. The terminal, w h o s e c o n s t r u c t i o n h a s a l r e a d y commenced, has a capacity of about 5,000. At assumption of duty as Minister in 2011, Oduah assembled a team of Experts to produce the Aviation Sector Master Plan and implementation Road Map. The airport remodeling project initiative is a core aspect of the Master Plan. Eleven airports were taken in the First Phase of the remodeling programme. The second Phase took care of the remaining 11.
Work on the 11 airports in the Second Phase is at 95 per cent completion.
84
- Dachi Maduako
COUNTRY REVIEW
The Philippines: An emerging economic giant
Phillippines Ambassador to Nigeria, Alex Lamadrid
TRAVELS & TOURS
he Philippines have grown to
Tbecome one of the most booming
economies in the world today and
as a result has attracted highly profiled
organizations to itself. It has now become
one of the most sought after tourist nations
in the world. No doubt, the Philippines have
definitely emerged an infrastructural
destination.
As an emerging infrastructure based
country, the Philippines have grown to
become one of the top 10 emerging markets
for investors, reputed as the gateway to the
growing Asian market.
The Philippines have gained the world
attention in virtually every sector. Today, it
controls the largest produce and exports of
agricultural products. Acclaimed to be the
largest coconut producer and exporter in the
world, the Philippines have equally been
rated as the second largest banana producer
and exporter, the third largest pineapple
producer and exporter and also the seventh
largest mango producer and exporter.
Their achievement in this area is largely due
to the vast production of agricultural
produce and a commitment to land
development. Even in diary produce, the
Philippines' dairy industry generates sales
of about $1 Billion annually. It is no gain
saying to say that the Philippines are a haven
for agricultural activities.
The Philippines have also spread their
tentacles widely and largely in the
electronics and information technology
sectors so much that they have been ranked
as the seventh largest electronics producer
in Asia and this accounts for the country's
two-third total exports, earning the
Philippines over $22billion US dollars, as at
2009.
Philippines electronics industry started in
the mid seventies when the industrialized
nations of the world were relocating their
production facilities so as to cut the
esca la t ing cos t o f
p r o d u c t i o n . T h e
Philippines which was
o n e o f t h e i d e a l
relocation sites during
this relocation period,
owing to the fact that it
stands at the crossroads
of international trade,
w i t h i t s c o s t
competitiveness. Its
highly educated and
E n g l i s h - s p e a k i n g
labour aided i t in
growing to become one
of the major centres of
electronics in the world.
Recently, the industry
e x p e r i e n c e d a n
overwhelming 41 per
cent increase growth in
export moving from
US$22.182 billion to
US$31.079 billion, causing a large turnover
for the country. The Philippines electronic
industry covers sub-sectors like, semi-
conductors, electronic data processing
e q u i p m e n t , o f f i c e e q u i p m e n t ,
t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s e q u i p m e n t ,
communications and radar, control and
instrumentation, medical and industrial,
automotive electronics, consumer electronics
and photovoltaics.
The Philippines remain the number one
supplier of knowledge-based jobs and
workers worldwide with an immediate
available labor force of 32 million and over
100,000 engineering, IT, and technical
graduates every year. As of 2010, the
electronics industry had generated half a
million direct employment. It registered a
growth rate of five per cent from 476,000 in
2009 to 500,000 in 2010.
Worthy to note is the fact that Investments
climate in the Philippines is much liberalized
with 100 per cent foreign ownership allowed
in certain areas of investments. This gives
room for foreign investors to expand their
business (es) as they so desire, making it not
only an haven for tourists but for prospective
investors who intend to build wealth through
foreign investments.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY86
COUNTRY REVIEWTRAVELS & TOURS
In IT and Telecommunications, the
Philippines are reputed as the home of the
world's top chip-makers, having over 10 per
cent of these chip-makers. It also ranks as
the fourth of the world's largest HDD
producers. For this, the Philippines have
been rated as producers of world class
telecommunications networks and BPO
work-place facilities.
All these the Philippines mix with an
outstanding understanding of the third most
populous language in the world, the English
language, rating as the third largest English
speaking country in the world with
capability in other languages. Equally, the
Philippines are the largest English speaking
country in South-East Asia. It equally has
one of the highest literacy rates worldwide,
guaranteeing good
communication flow
between the citizens
and investors and
tourists alike. This has
aided tourists visiting
their country and has
e q u a l l y o p e n e d
o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r
foreign investors.
The Philippines equally
rank as one of the
r iches t na t ions in
natural resources. The
Philippines is rated as third country richest
in gold worldwide, the fourth in copper, the
fifth in nickel and the sixth in chromites,
having a mineral reserve valued at US$840
billion (US dollars).
The Philippines have been ranked as
number one worldwide in BPO market
share. Manila, the capital is the largest
business process outsourcing city in the
world with an expanding state-of-the-art
t e c h n o l o g y t h a t g u a r a n t e e s t h e
infrastructural support that investors and
tourists need both for business and pleasure.
This same country has been recognized
thrice as the best outsourcing destination by
the National Outsourcing Association of the
United Kingdom.
This reflects that the country has grown to
become a global titan in infrastructure and
business, making it a haven for investors
and tourists. The quality, passion and
warmth that the Philippines exude give the
country leverage amongst other tourist-
attractive countries that it has grown to
become a place that tourists and investors
refer to as “home away from home.”
The Philippines also have an evident edge
in the construction industry with over
257,471 construction professionals ranging
from civil engineers, mechanical
engineers, electrical engineers and
architects. It equally has about two million
construction workers which affirms the
Philippines strong work ethics. This has
made the Philippines construction industry
one of the vital and promising sectors in the
economy. Added to this is the Philippines
health sector which is equally one of the
most sophisticated in the world. The
Philippines take pride of its world-class
medical healthcare services; that these
services are some of the best in Asia. In
addition to being well-trained and skilled,
the Filipinos have a compassionate nature
that enables them to perform excellent and
personalized medical treatment.
Being a supporter of alternative treatments,
the Philippine medical tourism program
also includes the orthodox and traditional or
alternative healthcare services. The
Philippines are developing a strong medical
tourism market given the abundance of
highly-qualified English-speaking medical
workers, sophisticated private hospitals and
competitive pricing of medical services.
In tourism, the Philippines make it more
homely for tourists that they have become
one of the most amazing and fascinating
tourist destinations due to its varied charms
which enthrall and endear tourists from all
over the world. The Philippines offer a wide
array of entertainment that enchances its
visitors with its beautiful scenic islands,
exotic beaches, amazing volcanoes, world-
class diving spots and unique wildlife and
m a n y o t h e r
attractions. Having an
advantage of natural
resources with a rich
history and a unique
c u l t u r e , t h e
Ph i l ipp ines have
become a focal point
for tourists from
countries like Korea,
USA, Japan, China,
Australia, Taiwan,
H o n g K o n g ,
Singapore, Canada to
name a few. I t s
attractive beaches of white sand, lush green
forests, majestic mountain peaks, age-old
structures, modern cities, rustic landscapes
and many other attractions have turned it to
a renowned country of admiration.
The most popular tourist destinations in the
Philippines are Manila, the capital city,
Bohol, Tagaytay, Ilocos, Baguio, Cebu,
Bataan, Bicol, Boracay, Palawan and
Davao.
All these make the Philippines another
homely place for both tourists and
investors. The Philippines have therefore,
become one country to look out for the best
tourist attraction and one of the thriving
infrastructural giants in the 21st century.
infrastructural information, Re-defined www.infrastructurequarterly.com JANUARY - MARCH, 2014 INFRASTRUCTURE QUARTERLY87
Luxury Buildings Introduces new Brand
Mr. Obinna CEO. Luxury Building & Accessories Ltd. addressing visitors & Exhibitors at the opening of a new brand, ‘The Luxury Slate’
The CEO. LBAAL explaining the new brand to visitors
The CEO. LBAAL explaining the new brand to visitors
BRANDS
t the unveiling of Luxury Buildings new brand, 'The Luxury Slate' a new roofing brand that has been crafted to meet
Aup with the taste and demands of the built sector in the 21st century, Infrastructure Quarterly got inquisitive for her
prospective readers, asking questions from Mr Okenze Sylvester Obinna, the COO of Luxury Buildings on this new
brand and what it has to offer the built sector and its numerous customers. Victor Alabi reports.
IQYou recently introduced a new roofing brand, can you give us a brief detail of the new brand?
COO, Luxury Buildings:Our new profile and brand is known as Luxury Slate. It is a masterly crafted roof tiles, it is the best of its technology. We can boldly say it is quite advanced yet it is close to nature.
We did it with nature in mind. If you look at the design, it is designed by one of the foremost designers in the world. The corrugation of the roofing slate is like no other. It has some natural features, and looking at it from a distance when it is raining it will look more like a waterfall. It was crafted with so many features in mind.
The steel used for the production would never be rusty. It has up to 50 years warranty. We took special care in the production and the adhesion process. The stones are properly glued to the steel so that they can never separate. This we believe is one aspect that we excel in the making of this roofing slate. There is no amount of
pressure exerted on the steel that can make the stone separate from the steel.
What is more is that it is specially made to withstand the African weather. In the sense that, the drying process is quite high, it can survive in a very hot temperature for a very long time
IQ-Are you saying that this product can
withstand any weather?
COO, Luxury Buildings:
Yes, it can. It has been tried under these
temperatures and I can safely say that the
luxury slate is highly tropicalized. You
know in Nigeria we have the rainy season
and the dry season. I can guarantee that this
product can survive any weather variation
and that is why this product is one of its
kind.
IQ-Considering the qualities of this new
brand you have listed , don’t you think
that this product has been made for a
selected market thus, creating room for
high cost?
COO, Luxury Buildings:
We have quality in mind as well as our
pockets. We understand that it is important
for every citizen in Nigeria to own a
decent house, so we are not only
profit driven as such, we are also
very reasonable with the prices of
our quality. We try to give products
of high quality at a very reasonable
price. This is what we offer our
customers, we are not so much after
the profit but the delivery of quality
at an affordable price to our
customers. Overtime, we believe the
profits will come.
And that is why we are going from
strength to strength. Today in
Sheraton as I speak with you, at the
7th Abuja Housing Show, we won
the Best Roofing Tiles Company of
the year and that is a testimony. This
is because people have appreciated
the quality of materials we give
Nigerians at very reasonable costs as
well. Apart from the fact that our
tiles have been tested, they have
equally stood the test of time.
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