A total of 54 exhibitors are expected to showcase at the inaugural Design & Build Expo organised by Ecobank and its partners.
This was disclosed by the Head, SME, Partnerships and Collaboration, Omoboye Odu, at a media briefing at its headquarters in Lagos on Monday.
Some of the key partners, including, SABA Steel, Coleman Wire & Cables, Donna Spectre, Dulux Paints, HTL Africa, ITB Nigeria Limited, Mota Engil Nigeria, and Chapel Hill Denham, among others.
Odu said the bank was interested in catering to every sector of the economy and the decision to focus on the construction was borne out of a need to meet the desires of its customers.
She said, “We have done something for the creative, for children, fashion and for our customers in the construction industry, we decided to do this. A five-day event for everything in the construction value chain. We have 54 exhibitors in our space. We are giving them a platform to network, to partner to have that international visibility.
“We are a bank for all. We will bank every sector that we can in Nigeria. Ecobank is present in 34 African countries and counting, we are the bank with the largest presence across Africa. Now, everyone talks about Africa as the last emerging market.
To ensure that our customers can compete globally, we have designed a platform, the Single Market Trading Hub, which has helped our customers to connect and do business. We are enabling businesses across borders.”
Further, she said the expo serves as a prime opportunity for professionals in the architecture and building sectors to present and market their products to a broader audience while encouraging valuable networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, consumers, and other stakeholders.
She highlighted the event’s exciting features, including knowledge exchange sessions by industry experts, creative exhibitions and installations, product displays showcasing the latest in design and innovation, networking opportunities with thought leaders, and inter-school architectural design competition to inspire the next generation, multi-audience entertainment, and food offerings to keep energy high.
The Design & Build Expo 2024 is an initiative of Ecobank Nigeria. It is designed to showcase the latest trends, innovations, and sustainable practices in Architecture, Construction, Building Materials, Household Appliances, Engineering and Interior Design Sectors.
The expo is positioned as a go-to hub to empower businesses, provide financial solutions, promote economic growth, and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders in the real estate, design and construction sector with the overarching message, ‘Building Nigeria Together.’
The bank said that participants will discover cutting-edge designs and sustainable innovations that can inform their next real estate or construction project.
“They will also learn about bespoke mortgage plans, construction loans, and investment opportunities designed to bring their property ambitions to life with ease. In addition, they will be able to connect with top developers, architects, and builders shaping the future of real estate and construction—opportunities that would come in handy for their future projects,” the lender.
According to the US International Trade Administration report on Nigeria’s construction industry in 2023, Nigeria’s construction market is expected to record an annual average growth of 3.2 per cent between 2022 and 2026. This is an improvement from 3.1 per cent growth in 2021.
The World Bank estimates that Nigeria will need to invest $3tn in infrastructure to reduce the infrastructure deficit in the country.
The government of Nigeria 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 per cent of GDP level by 2043.
Construction projects in Nigeria are driven by both the government and private investors.
