SA Affordable Housing September / October 2018 // Issue: 72 | Page 14

EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
Huge building and construction
event to launch in Nigeria
The Big 5 Construct Nigeria will become the premier international building and
construction event in Lagos and marks the brand's launch in west Africa.
d
mg events, the leading international events com-
pany, will launch The Big 5 Construct Nigeria next
year from 10 to 12 September 2019 at the Landmark
Centre in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.
The Big 5 Construct Nigeria introduces the successful Big
5 international construction brand to Lagos, and significant
demand from international construction suppliers has
already shown that they will welcome this new channel into
a valuable regional market.
"The opportunity to adapt The Big 5 brand to this new
region was ripe for development," says Andy White, senior
vice president, Construction. "Over the past three years dmg
events has expanded into southern, east and north Africa
through a combination of new launches and strategic
acquisitions. Bringing our most successful construction
brand, which is thriving in other locations, to Lagos is a
logical and exciting next step."
With the largest population in Africa, Nigeria is one of the
economic powerhouses of the region and the continent. The
International Monetary Fund forecasted the country's
economy would grow by 2.1% this year, while the World
Bank suggests that the country's growth will strengthen in
the medium term, helping it to reach 2.8% by 2019. This
outlook has already encouraged foreign investment into the
country via government debt instruments. By the end of the
first quarter this year the country attracted USD16-billion, up
300% year-on-year.
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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2018
Funds are being ploughed into the country's development,
with the Federal Executive Council recently approving
USD190-million for the construction of roads. A host of other
large-scale infrastructure and construction projects,
including rail, retail, new trade zones and cities are also on
the way.
"These development plans are creating huge demand for
international suppliers to bring their products and technologies
into the country, where there is a real thirst for the knowledge
and innovation our exhibitors can offer," says White.
Exhibitors and visitors alike will find features familiar
from The Big 5 throughout The Big 5 Construct Nigeria.
Alongside the international and domestic exhibitors, the
event will include free-to-attend CPD workshops and
seminars to update attendees on the latest industry
innovations, best practices and practical ideas. These
certified workshops will be delivered by experienced
professionals ready to share ideas with an audience eager to
learn. Other features include specialised zones that enable
visitors to rapidly find and research the products they are
looking for, live demonstrations and plenty of opportunity to
network with industry peers.
The Big 5 Construct Nigeria is the latest geo-adaptation of
one of dmg events core brands. This strategic process has
seen the company launch adapted versions of its successful
and established Dubai events across the Middle East and
Asia, while also expanding into Africa.