Leading players in infrastructural development, top government functionaries, industry leaders, eminent personalities, development experts, technocrats and diverse economy sectorial leaders both in the public and private sectors of the economy will gather in Lagos to celebrate the best of Nigeria’s icons and catalysts of infrastructural development. The occasion is the first Nigerian Infrastructural Development Awards (NIDA) scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers on December 7th 2018.

The event, which has its theme “Solid Infrastructural Backbone As catalyst for National Development”, is expected to boost the growth and development of infrastructure in Nigeria by providing a unique platform to benchmark performances and initiatives of technocrats, innovators and administrators, companies and groups tasked with the construction and improvement of infrastructure in Nigeria.

The Award identifies and honours organizations with the best, boldest, most original/creative and outstanding projects that have unique impact on the wellbeing of the people. It avails companies with innovative infrastructural Intervention through CSR with the visibility and reputation they deserve.

NIDA has identified corporate organisations, government agencies and individuals who have made huge and outstanding impact in the Nigerian infrastructural development sector over the years,” the organisers of the prestigious Awards, Prospers Strategy Ltd. said in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos.

The statement signed by the Award Committee Chairman, Mr Lanre Alabi, noted that many local and international firms and government agencies have through their huge investments and innovations have made impact on the nation’s Infrastructural development and in turn promoted the socio-economic development of the country. “This group of organisations and people have played iconic roles and are worthy of being recognised for their contributions. This also serves as an encouragement to others,” Mr. Alabi said.

He noted that NIDA’s key focus is to celebrate key stakeholders who have through their signature projects propelled the nation’s economy, adding that many infrastructural projects have promoted the nation to the outside world and have birthed many businesses. According to Alabi, despite the state of the economy, investments made by some key players in the sector have changed the landscape and have improved service delivery time with multiplier effects on employment generation, attracting foreign investment, tourism and improved quality of life of the people.

“The presence of these high-impacting infrastructure investments cuts across transportation, telecommunication, energy and power, oil and gas, aviation, agriculture, health, housing, entertainment and banking which adorn every part of the country,” he said.

The maiden NIDA awards ceremony is scheduled to hold on Friday, December 7th, 2018 at the Main Hall (Function Suite) of Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja Lagos. Among those billed to be honoured at the event are the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Honourable Minister for Transport and Aviation, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele. Also to be honoured are outstanding governors, construction companies and institutions that have contributed immensely to public infrastructure development through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Intervention programmes. Dr Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye, Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is the Chairman of the event.

“We believe strongly that the award platform is bound to spur and galvanise public interest in infrastructure development thereby enhancing advocacy roles and to promote investment opportunities in the nation’s infrastructural development to the outside world,” Mr. Alabi said.

“The evaluation of Award recipients was done by independent panel of judges consisting of reputable experts from diverse walks of life with high integrity index.” Key considerations for all the awards are value of projects, scope, project execution, innovation, Impact of project, public perception, radical reforms in infrastructural renewal, and spread of project.

“The prestigious occasion will also be used to X-ray topical infrastructure issues facing the nation. The award will attract chief executives of multi nationals, leading private sector players in infrastructural development, top government functionaries, industry leaders, market analysts, professional groups and diverse economy sectorial leaders, among others,” Alabi said.

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