Africa’s largest economy has a large infrastructure deficit, with total infrastructure stock amounting to 30% of the Gross Domestic Product, which is short of the 70% international benchmark set by the World Bank. This is according to the US International Trade Administration. Nigeria’s challenges in the built environment are not new. They include insufficient road networks linking commercial centers across the country and an inadequate stock of affordable housing. The World Bank estimates that the government will need to invest as much as $3 trillion to overcome the infrastructure deficit.
The government has begun to take steps towards reducing the infrastructure deficit through increased spending as part of a 30-year infrastructure plan (National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan), which aims to bring Nigeria’s infrastructure stock to 70% of the GDP by 2043. It has prioritised the construction and rehabilitation of new and existing roads and railway systems, such as the Lagos-Ibadan and the Abuja-Kaduna lines. Efforts have also been made to upgrade and expand airports and seaports.
Studies, such as that by the Infrastructure Consortium of Africa, have shown that poor road, rail, and harbour infrastructure adds 30%-40% to the costs of goods traded among African countries. The African Development Bank says poor-quality infrastructure can increase the input material costs of consumer goods by up to 200% in certain African countries.
George Asamani, MD, Sub Saharan Africa, PMI, says, “Projects are at the core of development. Dubai, a standout performer in the United Arab Emirates, is a good example of how successful project identification, preparation, and implementation can support economic growth, create jobs and attract foreign investment. Certified project managers can help improve the quality and efficiency of infrastructure projects in Nigeria. They can help to ensure that projects are completed on time, on budget, and to the required standards.”
The United Nations supports the argument and has said that “Infrastructure is the backbone of any country as it generates jobs, boosts economic growth, and improves the quality of life for the poor.”
The Nigerian government has outlined massive investments in transportation infrastructure, power supply, healthcare, education, and other public utilities. The government has also launched initiatives like the National Housing Fund Scheme and promoted mortgage financing through the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to address the demand for housing.
Regrettably, the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) estimates that Nigeria has some 56,000 abandoned projects worth over N12 trillion and blames the high number of abandoned projects on poor costing, monitoring, and evaluation. The national monitoring and evaluation platform for government projects, Eyemark, affirms this, revealing recently that the new administration had Inherited 33 uncompleted projects worth N16.29 trillion.
Asamani points out that the effective development of infrastructure projects involves synergy between multiple sectors and stakeholders and effective oversight and coordination of various aspects and stages of projects.
“A shortage of skilled project professionals means poor planning and implementation, resulting in inefficient stakeholder coordination and integration. As a consequence, the need for certified project managers becomes even more expedient if the country is to close the yawning infrastructure gap with the rest of the world,” he noted. The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria has acceded to this by describing Nigeria as a “project managers’ graveyard.”
To improve skills and meet complex demands in today’s evolving built environment, PMI created the Construction Professional in Built Environment Projects (PMI-CP), a globally recognised certification for project managers involved in infrastructure and construction management.
The PMI-CP certification is designed for industry professionals looking to sharpen or develop skills for existing or future opportunities in the built environment. The certification covers the domains of Project Communication, Scope and Change Order Management, Interface Management, Performance and Materials Management, Contract and Risk Management, Technology and Innovation, and Execution Planning.
“Fundamentally, the PMI-CP certification instills a culture of ensuring project adherence to standards and requirements to improve the dependability and durability of infrastructure assets,” Asamani continues, “which is imperative, especially in the Nigerian context, with multi-billion-dollar projects on the anvil. As the construction industry evolves, the need for qualified professionals to manage complex construction projects will become more urgent.”
As the new administration in Nigeria gears to hasten infrastructure development such as roads, railways, seaports, and power plants, it must also consider investing in training more project managers. This will help ensure the government has the skills and expertise it needs to deliver the infrastructure projects and effectively protect its investments.
