Inclusive innovation key to solving infrastructure challenges — Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers, Nigeria Section, said integration, innovation, and inclusion are essential pillars for shaping the future of Nigeria’s infrastructure. A statement by ASCE on Monday said Nigeria hosted the 2025 Global Sustainable Infrastructure Conference in Lagos. The ASCE 2025 Nigeria Conference brought together a distinguished cohort of engineers, policymakers, industry leaders, and development experts from across the globe.
They are interdependent goals. Integrated thinking across sectors, disciplines, and stakeholders is the key to achieving them together,” Peña-Mora said. Peña-Mora also noted the importance of locally driven ideas shaping global change. “The work being done here in Nigeria is not just impressive; it’s essential to our shared future.
You are showing how infrastructure can be climate-smart, circular, and community-driven.” Peña-Mora urged attendees to think beyond borders. “Let us build stronger bridges—between research and implementation, between governments and civil society, and across generations of engineers. Infrastructure is not just about building, it’s about building together.”
In a keynote address, the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, Dr. Jobson Ewalefoh, stated that fragmented infrastructure models must give way to systemic, cross-sectoral solutions if Nigeria is to meet its long-term goals. “For Nigeria and many developing economies, infrastructure remains the backbone of economic transformation. But the gaps are wide. We need to move from isolated projects to interconnected systems thinking,” he said. He referenced the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, a 23-year strategy requiring $2.3 trillion in investments—and called for greater reliance on Public-Private Partnerships, not only as funding mechanisms but as vehicles for sustainable development. “Integrated infrastructure must be socially inclusive.
Our roads must connect our farmers to the markets. Our digital infrastructure must empower young entrepreneurs. Sustainability is not just environmental—it is economic, social, and institutional,” he added. ASCE Nigeria Section President, Engr. Austin Odibi called participants to action.
“This conference is not just a meeting, it is a mission. The time to act is now. We are duty-bound to lead the action required to deliver lasting solutions for our communities,” he said. Also in attendance were ASCE Executive Director, Thomas Smith III; Region 10 Director, April Jane Lander; Global Programs Manager, Nives McLarty; and other international delegates, who praised Nigeria’s engineering community for its innovation, ambition, and resilience. The conference also spotlighted sessions on material innovation, modular construction, digital tools, and circular economy practices—areas seen as transformative for the continent’s infrastructure future. Grace Edema
