My Turning Point Experience At Thebig5construct Nigeria, A New Dawn For Nigeria’s Construction Industry

From 9 - 11 September 2019, over 130 international and local suppliers – with the latest services and innovative products from 20 countries, 26 global experts – burning to share their immense expertise together with thousands of budding and practicing construction professionals (Architects, Civil Engineers, Builders, Surveyors, Safety, Valuers among others) converged on Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos – for The Big 5 Construct; an influential event organized by "dmg events" and being the first edition in Nigeria. The classic event offered free CPD certified educational workshops for the attendees.

I planned attending all the workshops but, due to my busy schedule and defying all odds, I could only attend the sessions slated for the last day.

Going by the exposure to exhibition of wide arrays of construction materials ( manufactured by local and foreign companies), partnerships I forged with some influential figures, exhibitors and fellow attendees, educative, interactive and thought provoking discussions which revolve around sustainability with topics covering , Bubble Deck Precast System ( an innovative and sustainable construction technology, an efficient, cost effective and alternative to solid slab which captivated my attention and which I will further explore in my solitude), Safety Designs, Project Management, Coastal and Erosion Control, Sustainable Housing and Smart City among others. No doubt, I’m tempted to say that The Big5 Construct Nigeria is unique and on the track of gaining prominence as the most influential gatherings of foreign and local Construction Professionals on the Nigerian soil.

My favorite workshop is "Bubble Deck Precast System: How It Inspires New Architectural Design" which was anchored by Dr. Paulin Wembe, Managing Director, PTW Connect. I got to know that Bubble Deck is a biaxial voided concrete slab in which high density, non toxic polythene hollow spheres replace the ineffective concrete in the centre of concrete slab. It has numerous advantage ranging from: homogeneous structure with ability to withstand earthquake, saves costs, saves concrete, fire proofing property, large cantilever ability etc.

As part of the workshops, Engr. Emanuel Uwalaka led a presentation titled: "Implementation of Safety Designs and Precautions in The Housing Sector", he laid emphasis on how research shows that 99% of all accidents on site are preventable while, there is an urgent need for construction professionals to provide adequate building designs to cater for the disable – especially those using wheel chairs, the blind and pedestrians.

On the second day of the lecture, quite unfortunate that I missed the wonderful presentation of Babatunde Odunlami, my amiable friend and Geomatics Engineer. He brilliantly anchored an educative and interactive session on "Mapping Technology and Sustainable Development".

He brought on board and made a lot of illustration with his vast expertise and innumerable experience in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), construction and engineering.

The positive energies emitted from the sustainability and solution oriented workshops lent credence to the fact that the budding and practicing construction professionals in Nigeria are eager to embrace the global developments and the daily innovation in the construction industry.

In the evening, after engaging continuously in the rigours of the workshop sessions and being exhausted, I relieved the stress by taking a stroll to the exit door – with an extension by the coast to peep at the ongoing constructions at the Eko Atlantic city; which is a few meters away. The project site which is located adjacent to (perhaps I should say hitherto) Bar Beach at Victoria Island.

Eko Atlantic city which is a reclaimed of approximately 100 hectares of land, 7.5 Km long, with a width of 2.3Km on the western end and tapering to 0.5Km on the eastern end (according to Eko Atlantic city website).

Before conclusion, I won’t fail to appreciate Eric Chan, The Project Manager and the brains behind this reputable event ranging from: the volunteers, the donors, the facilitators, the sponsors among others. The media and online awareness was massive.

Indeed, Wednesday, September 11, 2019 is a day I can never forget. TheBig5Construct 2019 just challenged me to incorporate safety, sustainability and smart city dimensions into my subsequent engineering endeavors.. Duly noted.. Sigh!

This is an eye opener... Folks in Kenya should look forward to The Big5 Construct Kenya schedule for 5 - 7 November 2019.

Nigeria still have a long way to go in keeping up with the pace of innovation and sprawling development in the construction industry.

Unarguably, it is apparent that Nigeria’s construction professionals are eager and ready to dance to the global rhythmic tunes of innovative and sustainable construction practices.

Looking forward to a more exhilarating experience at The BIG5 Construct Nigeria 2020..