The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE) are hosting a unique training platform, Totally Concrete West Africa, next week in Lagos, Nigeria. Totally Concrete West Africa will introduce new cement, concrete and construction technologies from more than 8 countries worldwide including Austria, Italy, India, Lebanon, Turkey and South Africa to the local West African construction marketplace.

“Totally Concrete West Africa represents hard work and high motivation that is building international professional bridges across the African continent and beyond,” says Prof. Danladi S. Matawal, CEO/Executive Director of the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI). The event will take place from 1 to 3 December uniting world renowned experts in concrete technology to improve concrete design mix and study the intricacies of concrete applications in tropical climates.

The event unites West Africa’s foremost producers of cement with the region’s foremost users of cement to improve concrete design mix and facilitate more durable, efficient and cost effective construction across the region. Industry leaders will be in attendance such as Engr. Kashim Ali, President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) will elaborate on the subject of engineering regulation in Nigeria and Loren Zanin, Managing Director of Lafarge Readymix in Nigeria will highlight how Lafarge is expanding local business opportunities for the cement and concrete industries.

Nigeria is currently the largest cement producer in Africa with an annual cement production capacity of 22.5 million metric tonnes. As imperative infrastructure needs continue to drive demand for construction projects across the region, industry stakeholders gear up to overcome challenges and meet more infrastructure delivery targets on budget and on time. Not only does Nigeria alone have a housing deficit of more than 17 million units but West Africa as a whole only has a current road access rate of 34%, demonstrating the vast opportunity for infrastructure build in the region.

Totally Concrete West Africa is a vital training platform to develop building and concrete technology skills amidst West Africa’s foremost users of cement and concrete, “Participating in Totally Concrete West Africa allows Julius Berger to share the company’s vast experience in offering sustainable infrastructure solutions with a qualified audience,” says Engr. Olu Mustapha, Senior Management from Julius Berger Nigeria Plc about the event.

Sponsored by Lafarge, United Cement Compnay of Nigeria (UniCem), Bodome Group and Touchwork, this event underpins urbanisation in the West African region by facilitating skills development and technology transfer to realise more complex, sustainable building practices for 2015 and beyond.