Nigeria, a country in the African continent, is famous for its state-of-the-art infrastructure and flourishing construction industry.
The country is no stranger to megaprojects and its million naira projects spanning nearly every industry from transit, rail, and infrastructure to aerospace, energy, and science.
The super projects reflect speedy growth in the construction industry around the country and spur residential development.
The Ten (10) major ongoing mega projects in Nigeria are below:
1. Second Niger Bridge Project
The second Niger Bridge Project at Asaba is a national infrastructure with socio-economic benefits for the state and the entire nation.
It is a project developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) involving the team at Julius Berger international.
Importance of the second Niger Bridge project
TheThe intended project will eradicate highway traffic, develop road safety, and create opportunity by regenerating economic life upon completion.
The scope of the project
The scope of the 116.7 billion naira project includes the construction of a 1.6km long bridge, 10.3km highway, Owerri interchange, and a toll station.
The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is in charge of implementing the execution of this mega project.
The span of the bridge
The Niger Bridge initiated under the regime of Goodluck Jonathan and sustained by Buhari will span from Asaba to Ozubulu and Ogbaru areas.
Contractors in charge of the project
The project gains an expansion through a public-private partnership in line with Julius Berger, and the team is providing the planning, logistics, and construction.
2. World Trade Center Project Abuja
The world trade center is a composite project of eight buildings under construction in the central business district of Abuja.
The jumbo project plans have seven skyscrapers which two have been topped-out already while others are in construction.
Once completed, the complex will pose 110 meters of residential consisting of 120 advanced luxury apartments, 9 nine apartment types, 24 floors, 2 two penthouses.
Its 120 meters commercial tower will host a lettable space of 33,000sqm, flexible office space of 1,440sqm, a shopping venue, and 250 luxury hotel rooms.
Benefits of the project
According to the project’s proposal, the complex at Constitution Avenue Abuja will be the world’s trade center in the coming years, serving multiple uses that include retail, residential, and office, with its hospitality element creating an exciting cityscape.
The extent of the world trade center
World trade center Abuja will comprise six residential and office towers ranging from 18 to 23 floors, a large Capital Mall for shopping, and another high-rise building of 45 floors with leisure and hospitality phases.
Funds and development
The funding of the complex is by private investors and private financial institutions, and its development is by First Intercontinental Properties Limited, an auxiliary of The Churchgate Group.
The project is contracted with Wood Bagot as a designer, while the contractors include WSP Consulting and Abuja Investing Company.
3. Abuja Centenary City
Abuja centenary city is a 180.6 US billion-dollar project developed by Front Range City.
Centenary City Abuja intends to work with nature as it will offer an absolute international lifestyle to residents.
It is a public-private partnership contracted between Eagle Hills and Julius Berger International GmbH in a planning area of 1200 hectares.
Aim of the Centenary City Abuja
The Centenary City aims to create a mega business district, museum, financial and cultural center, world-class hotels, and residential neighborhoods.
It also intends to have an 18-hole golf course, leisure and sports facilities, business and technology parks.
Job creation
Towards the ending of this five-year development plan, it will create 50,000 construction jobs and 5,000 well-paying permanent jobs.
Factors that guarantees the success of the project
The most notable factor is its trade-free zone, duty-free regime, tax holiday, chartered status, secured business environment, and offshore status.
The contractor handling the development of the centenary city is the RCC Construction Company.
4. Lekki Free Trade Zone
Lekki’s Free Trade Zone is built-up as a collaboration model between the Chinese and Nigeria for reciprocated benefits and a two-sided relationship.
The Lekki Free Trade Zone covers about 3000 hectares and targets a population of 120,000 residents built as a comprehensive satellite city of Lagos state.
The investment focus of the Lekki free trade zone
The Free Trade Zone will invest and focus on the areas of investment that comprises the following:
- Electrical home appliances, building materials, agro-allied products, etc.
- Oil, warehousing, transportation, natural gas tank farms, chemical industries, technological park, logistics, etc.
- Also, it will focus on commercial businesses, shopping malls, tourism and leisure industries, real estate development, tourist resorts, golf courses, etc.
- Infrastructure investment consists of seaports, water plants, power plants, natural gas pipelines, and sewage treatment plants.
Merits of investing in the Lekki Free Trade Zone
- Guaranteed return on investment.
- Incentives for investment growth.
- A secured business environment.
- Zero withholding tax on dividends.
- One hundred percent foreign ownership of investment is permitted.
- There will be a minimal turnaround time for approvals and permits.
- Another merit is the availability of markets from within and outside the customs territory.
Quadrants of the Lekki free trade zone
The Free Trade Zone, located in the southeastern corner of Lagos state, has four quadrants: southwest quadrant, southeast, northwest, and northeast quadrant.
The project coordinator awarded the construction work to Lekki Free Zone Development Company (LFZDC).
Things you need to know about the Lekki free trade zone
The area size: the free trade zone covers an area of 155 square meters in the Ibeju Lekki local government, which is 50 km away from the city center.
Partnership: Free Trade Zone is a joint venture partnership under the Nigeria export processing zones Act (NEPZA).
History-making: The Lekki free trade zone is known to be the biggest in West Africa and leading private Nigeria’s free trade zone.
Leading-edge of the future’s enterprise: from the way it’s moving, the trade zone is gradually becoming the frontier of the Nigerian economy.
Magnetizing investors: It will attract investors and enterprises with exclusive transportation, geographical and regional advantages.
According to a World Bank report, the Lekki free trade zone is the fastest-growing free zone worldwide.
Job opportunities: As anticipated, the project is a job creation zone that will toss out 300,000 direct job opportunities and 600,000 indirect jobs.
5. Eko Atlantic City
Eko Atlantic city or Eko Atlantic is a super project predicted to rise as Africa’s next generation of property.
The project’s development is a partnership with public-private enterprises, private investors, the federal government, and the Lagos state government.
At completion, the city is looking forward to a minimum of 250,000 populaces and an everyday flow of 150,000 commuters.
The estimated multi-billion projects are privately funded by South Energyx Nigeria limited.
Benefits of the mega project
- According to the proposal, it will help stop the erosion of Lagos city’s coastline.
- The project will satisfy the need for residential, commercial, financial, and tourist accommodations.
- The ongoing project will unlock the growth possible for property development and future investment.
Distinctive Districts of the ongoing project
Eko Atlantic will contain seven regions mentioned as follows:
- Marina
- Downtown
- Eko drive
- Harbor Lights
- Avenues
- Business district
- Oceanfront
Master-plan of Eko Atlantic City
The project will be the size of Manhattan’s skyscraper district.
Again, it will include state-of-the-art urban design, clean water, power generation, better telecommunications, tree-lined streets, and ample roads.
Endorsed developments in Eko Atlantic City
Eko Atlantic city houses some completed and ongoing projects. The list of consented development in the city are:
- Alpha 1 Tower: a grade A office development that will comprise 14 floors of open offices and a basement for the car park.
- Arkland A&A Towers is a continuing development that consists of two and three-bedroom homes, shops, and offices.
- Azuri Peninsula multipurpose development will comprise offices, luxury residences, and retail.
- Eko Energy Estate is a complete and exhaustive project featuring commercial, residential, and relaxation areas.
- Eko Pearl Towers will comprise five residential skyscrapers that range from 24 to 33 floors, with each building having its own identity and color.
- Lagos Sky Tower: An elite 26-story super high-ceilinged multifamily building with 123-units various floor plan designs, apartments, and top-quality furnishing.
- Eko village
6. Lagos – Calabar Railway
Lagos – Calabar Railway, otherwise called the West-east Coastal Rail line, is a new project that will link both eastern and western parts of Nigeria.
The 1,400 kilometers rail line project will pass through Calabar, Uyo, Aba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Otuoke, Ughelli, Warri, Sapele, Benin, Agbor, Asaba, Onitsha, Ore, Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, and Lagos.
The 14.4 billion dollar project involves 22 railway stations, including administrative space, ancillary facilities, and level crossings.
Other additional works include fixing electrical systems, safety systems, signaling systems, lighting systems, and the laying of tracks and electricity lines.
The objective of the Lagos- Calabar Railway
- The railway project will provide a substitute passage for the substantial movement of passengers and goods.
- It will produce thousands of jobs and provoke massive industrialization in the cities where the rail line will bypass.
- It will lengthen the lifespan of vital roads like Lagos-Ibadan expressways, Benin-Warri, etc., as an alternative route.
- Additionally, it will offer an opportunity to rekindle the tourism industry since it will connect Obudu Cattle ranch.
Phases of the project
The project will take two phases, with the first running between Port Harcourt and Calabar, while the second phase will run via Lagos through Onitsha to Port Harcourt.
Timeline of the project
Since the project’s approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), there is a signed agreement for the development with a notable organization like China Railway Construction Corp. Ltd (CRCC).
The Export-Import Bank of China agreed to finance a part of the project, and a London-based Standard Chartered Bank decided to fund the construction.
7. Mambilla Hydropower Project
Mambilla Hydropower project is a 3.05GW hydroelectric facility developed in the Dongo River close to Baruf in Kakara Village o Taraba state.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Power, Construction, and Housing, in line with Chinese Investments Coy, handles this 5.8 billion dollar project.
Intentions of the project
- Mambilla hydroelectric facility will consist of four dams, two underground powerhouses with 12 turbine-generator units.
- The four dams built on the Dongo River include Nya, Nghu, Sumsum, and Api Weir dams.
- It will engender about 50,000 limited jobs during the construction phase.
- At its completion, it will be the largest power generating installation in the country and among the largest in Africa.
- Both Nya and Sumsum will be 100cm and 35m tall roller compacted concrete dams with a crest length of 515m and 460m.
- Nghu will be a 95m-high rockfill dam with a crest length of 650m, while Api Weir will be a small regulatory dam to raise the river’s water level.
Funding for Mambilla hydropower project
The Chinese Export-Import (Exim) Bank is financing 85% of the expected project cost, while the federal government of Nigeria will sort out the residual 15%.
Contractors involved with Mambilla hydropower project
The engineering, procurement, & construction (EPC) of the Mambilla Hydropower project progresses as a mutual venture between China Gezhouba Group (CGGC), Sinohydro, and CGCOC (formerly CGC Overseas Construction)
Studio Pietrangeli, the engineering company in Italy, completed the design for the hydropower project.
London-based Bennie & Partners and Diyam Consultants were earlier engaged in carrying out the feasibility study for the project that Lahmeyer International later reworked.
Messrs Maps Geosystems assisted in completing the project sketch using aerial mapping.
8. Imota Rice Mill
Imota rice mill is a vital continuing project expected to dunk up to multi-billion naira till its completion in no distance time.
The Imota Rice Mill at Ikorodu Lagos state is at an 85% completion level and will produce an annual 2.4 million bags of clean rice.
The Imota Rice Mill entails the expansion of a 32-ton per hour Rice Mill facility with all associated infrastructure and services.
Why contractors should not mire fiddlesticks in the Imota Rice Mill project
- Since rice is an important staple food in Nigeria, the project will ensure food security in the state and nation.
- The rice mill project will reinforce the economic rigor of Nigeria.
- It will also provide job opportunities, thereby improving the economic malleability of the nation.
- Imota rice mill will create employment for 250,000 Nigerians.
- It will help create wealth across the agricultural value chain, from the input supply to the paddy aggregation process.
Again, the wealth creation will span the storage and warehousing, processing, distribution, and final consumption.
Other details about Imota Rice Mill
- The Imota rice mill production capacity will be the world’s largest and most significant in sub-Saharan Africa, producing 2.5 million bags of 50kg rice per year.
- When operational, it will ensure a steady supply of freshly processed rice and a yearly production of 2.4 million bags of 50 kg rice.
- It will facilitate an ideal supply of input for the facility. The Lagos state will collaborate with states like Sokoto, Kebbi, Benue, Kwara, and Borno.
9. 4th Mainland Bridge Lagos
The 4th mainland bridge in Lagos is a proposed 38km long bridge that will connect Lagos Island and Ikorodu.
It’s a 2-by-4 lane carriageway cross-sectional road with authorization for BRT Lane and potential road contraction.
The 844 billion naira project, initiated by the Senator government, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Lagos state governor, will go a long way to eradicate traffic along Ikorodu-Lagos Island way.
Shortlisted Construction Company for the project
Lagos state governor has selected firms like CCECC Nigeria limited, China Harbour Engineering Company limited, and CGGC-CGC Joint Venture.
Others include China State Construction Engineering Corporation Nigeria limited, IC ICTAS Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S, and Ingenieros Consultores.
Upon completion;
- It will be the second-longest bridge in Africa.
- It will feature three toll plazas, 4.5 Lagoon bridge, 9m interchanges, and a biodegradable environment.
- After realignment, it will lead to the demolition of 800 buildings gainst the earlier 4000 houses marked.
- It will help improve transportation flow on its upper level, reducing traffic congestion.
- It will be a 2 level bridge that accommodates pedestrian, commercial, social, and cultural interactions on its lower level.
- The 4th mainland bridge will be a ring road that provides optional traffic routes from Lekki to Ikorodu and Ikeja to Ajah.
10. Dangote Oil Refinery in Lekki, Lagos
Dangote Oil Refinery is a 650,000 barrels per day (BPD) project under development in Lagos’s Lekki free zone.
The Dangote Oil Refinery, a company owned by the Nigeria-based Dangote Group, is mounting the project with a likely investment of 19 billion dollars.
The refinery will process a range of light and standard crude grades to produce Euro-V superior spotless fuels, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, and polypropylene.
Prospects of the Dangote oil refinery in Lekki
- The Dangote refinery will produce 10.4 million tonnes of gasoline, 4.6 Mt of diesel, and 4 Mt of jet fuel annually.
- The petrochemical project will produce 9500 direct and 25,000 indirect jobs in Nigeria.
- It will double the nation’s refining capacity and help meet the increasing domestic fuel demand.
- The refinery complex will have a fertilizer plant that will utilize the by-product of the refinery as raw materials.
- Again, it will produce 0.6 million tonnes (Mt) of polypropylene, 32,000 tonnes of sulfur, 0.24 Mt of propane, and 0.5 Mt of carbon black feed per year.
Financing
A group of local and international banks agreed to offer a syndicated loan of 3.3 billion dollars. The United States Trade and Development Agency provides a 251.3 billion naira grant.
Contactors for the project
The contractors that will see to the project’s success include Engineers India, Honeywell UOP, C&I Leasing, Hang Xiao Steel Structure Company, Jan De Nul Group, MAN Diesel & Turbo, etc.
Conclusion
According to the megaprojects discussed above, Nigeria has sustainable projects that can lead to progress and enrichment of lives.
When it comes to delivering mega projects, be it railways, highways, or waterways, Nigeria is usually among the cutting-edge.
