Interview: Attahiru Bala Usman
How would you assess the quality of local firms that are working on key infrastructure projects?
ATTAHIRU BALA USMAN: The quality of local technical consulting has improved tremendously, enabling Nigerian offshoots of international firms to become fully indigenous. This has led to reduced reliance on foreign expertise to execute key phases of large infrastructure projects, as demonstrated by our work on the environmental impact mitigation monitoring of the Lekki deepsea port project and the environmental & social impact assessment of the Kano-Maradi rail project. Even so, engaging with key international players can help to foster reciprocity along the construction value chain, and boost the capacity of local skills. A successful import substitution strategy fosters an enabling environment to increase local participation while harnessing the power of international expertise and experience.
In what ways is an environmental and social plan beneficial for the construction sector?
USMAN: An environmental and social impact plan brings immense value to an infrastructure project as it determines its long-term viability. The early infrastructure development of the oil and gas sector failed to address the environmental and social impact of such expansive activity completely. This inevitably led to political unrest, insecurity, massive pollution, and the loss of human and capital resources. The maritime segment’s consideration of the environmental and social impact of critical infrastructure development had not been prioritised in the past, triggering the congestion of access roads leading to Nigeria’s main ports in Apapa and Tin Can Island in Lagos.
Nevertheless, the past decade has witnessed strong growth in the institutional capacity of environmental regulatory agencies and more willingness from investors to develop rigorous plans to mitigate and manage the environmental and social impact of their activities. A conscious effort must be made to implement the mitigation measures agreed upon in environmental and social impact assessment reports.
What can stakeholders do to help accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices?
USMAN: For emerging economies like Nigeria, the adoption of such practices is a work in progress. Rapid industrialisation often translates into external costs such as environmental degradation. To accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices, stakeholders along the construction value chain must limit the accumulation of waste during the construction process. Moreover, building materials must be reused and recycled to create a local supply chain market to meet the demands of our large population and rapid urbanisation.
Furthermore, we must carry out research to make green infrastructure more affordable. This would help to mitigate the effects of infrastructure development both locally, in terms of municipal waste management, and globally, by reducing greenhouse emissions. Lastly, the adoption of sustainability practices can be further incentivised by including selection criteria in procurement processes that favour sustainable suppliers.
To what extent can education and training help to encourage sustainable engineering?
USMAN: Regulatory agencies must be empowered to implement sustainable practices efficiently. Enhancing this capacity requires qualified and experienced human capital. Therefore, universities should be encouraged to engage in research-based education and training to enhance the understanding of environmental issues among future practitioners. The focus must be on finding solutions that utilise local resources. Lastly, private companies must be encouraged to provide grants to support research and development related to the natural environment as these firms often derive their profits from the commercial exploitation of natural resources.
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