... organisers, exhibitors excited
Big 5 Construct Nigeria on Tuesday welcomed a large number of visitors, and over 150 exhibitors from 20 countries at the commencement of the three day exhibition involving both foreign and local manufacturers in different aspects of construction.
The event organised by DMG Events connects buyers with manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. It equally gives ample opportunity for networking, business making and knowledge sharing.
The promoters of the Big 5 Construct Nigeria disclosed that the event has entered its fourth year, making it the fourth edition, and it has continued to get larger and larger with each year.
They stated acknowledged that Nigeria’ offers huge market in Africa in terms of construction whether housing, roads and other infrastructure.
This year the event hosts a score of new exhibiting companies from many different countries.
Some of the renowned international brands showcasing their products, services and solutions for the first time at Big 5 Construct Nigeria, include Schneider Electric, a French multinational corporation that specializes in digital automation; Swiss Krono, a leading supplier of wood-based interior design, flooring and building materials; and Framecad International, A UAE-based leader of steel framing building innovation; Saint Gobain, a French light and sustainable construction giant; are Peri Formwork, a manufacturer and supplier of formwork and scaffolding systems and Bosch, a German multinational engineering and technology company.
Speaking with journalists at the first day of the event held at Landmark Event centre, Oniru, Lagos, the Portfolio Director of DMG Events, Mehtap Gursoy described Big 5 Construct Nigeria as the “the largest construction event taking place in Nigeria, welcoming 9000 construction professions from Nigeria, visiting event for 3 days, welcoming 150 exhibitors coming from 20 different countries, showcasing their construction products and technologies.”
She added that “the construction industry, Nigeria, is growing, valid to growing more than $128 billion, and it seems to grow 2.4% of the universe, and it makes the event part crucial, in terms of contribution to the GDP and to the overall construction industry.
“The event is very important to bring the construction industry in the country, the collaboration serves as opportunities to local companies in having access to the trench of technologies, best practices and exhibitors.
“It’s the 4th edition this year, the event has been growing since the first edition, but this year increases with the exhibitors, the number of visitors coming, and we expect more, our aim is to keep growing.”
On his part, the Vice-President, DMG Events, Ben Greenish could not agree less with Mehtap Gursoy, said the organisation has series of exhibitions it runs in high population emerging markets.
“So we have a ready base of international exhibitors who are always asking us to organize events where they can come in to new markets and they can discover new markets and meet people, it’s really cost effective,”he said
“So an exhibition is a fantastic way for a company to come into a brand new market with a small stand to immerse themselves to that market over a few days to understand the importance of it and the opportunities for the future.
“So we have this constant supply of companies asking us for to come to import markets inside Nigeria.
“The opportunity is vast, the population is enormous. The population is forecasting double in the next 50 years. If you think of urban living and how urban living is gonna be transformed in our lifetime.
“I think I’ll say 80% of the African population will live in cities by 2080 which is an astonishing figure.
“So the opportunity in the Nigerian market for construction is massive but equally it’s a really important market for Nigeria because construction brings jobs, education, wealth, so you have a population of 190 million, it’s an enormous number and that’s a very youthful population.”
“21 countries represented, I think I might just say 50% pavilions you see behind me. Obviously a number of countries represented here on the floor, will find it easier to find international businesses that want to come and test the Nigerian market.
The profile of Nigeria around the world, is high as it has ever been. The expectations I think over the next 20 years for Nigeria is massive.”
In his presentation during one of the Master Classes on the topic:’Innovative project management strategies for large-scale construction in Nigeria: Navigating challenges and maximizing efficiency’, Mr.Eniafe Enianu who is the Project Manager, Encon Sharon Engineering Services Limited, noted that “Nigeria needs more of landscape construction projects,.and also adopting the multiplier effect of landscape construction project, and what it has done to several economics.”
He said landscape construction project are construction projects that the range goes above 200million dollars, and deals with large construction, like bridges, main roads, skyscrapers.
“Nigeria is very low in adoption of landscape construction projects, and Lagos is making significant strive towards it.
“There’s a need to diversify into different regions, Lagos shouldn’t be the only region adopting the landscape construction, as it might affect the education, health sectors and other opportunities.
“Such projects can curb the issues of flooding, with the projects there can be constructions that can control flooding and make the environment suitable.
“Even with the work force, we are like 75% below the scale, that means that Nigeria is far back in adopting recent technologies, causing clashes during construction.
There’s a need to pickup with the support of stakeholders, government, private organizations and education board will also be involved to create awareness of the construction, individuals also needs to be educated, to have knowledge and implement it, with the knowledge and use of the AI.”
On his part, the General Secretary, Association of Housing Corporations of Nigeria,Toye Eniola, commended the presentations at the event, but noted that the construction industry in the country has been plagued with so many challenges, like the issues of finance and policy somersaults.
“The issue of policy implementation is when we have new government, the existing policy is always set aside, we don’t have continuity in implementation of policy which is affecting the sector, instead of continuing with what was done by the past government, so we start all over again.”
However, Eniola forsees a positive development in the nation’s construction sector if the issues of corruption and incompetence are addressed.
Meanwhile many of the exhibitors at the event are excited and are looking forward to closing juicy deals with customers.
Speaking with NOTM online at the first say, Lara Chalabi, a managing partner of Oak Team Africa, who is at the exhibition for the third year, said, “I feel excited being here for the third time to exhibit our products.”
Mr.George Ukap, Quality manager Lafarge, also expressed his excitement at the opportunity offered by the event to showcase one of the products brought to the exhibition by the company, hydromedia concrete.
“This is our experiment for the display of hydromedia concrete, the concrete allows for water to drain easily, in your parking lots , road pavement, over the gutters, and there’s no waterlog even if it rains.”
“And it’s the solution for construction works around the world. It is a new innovation for the local construction, that’s why we are bringing it into Nigeria from Lafarge.”
Mark Cheng, a Chinese exhibitor, told NOTM online that he is looking for partners in Nigeria to market his company’a brand of glue used in holding PVC pipes during construction.
“I want to see more professionals in this exhibition, and then partners to market my glue in Nigeria,” he said.
