China already leads the construction industry in Nigeria, according to data from the Chinese embassy in Abuja. But as VOA correspondent Alhassan Balal reports, Nigerian contracting companies and engineers say Chinese firms are excluding them from many major projects.
Engineer Saeed Maigari works as a local contractor on construction sites that have been added to Abuja. But he says the presence of large Chinese construction companies in Nigeria has limited local builders to small projects, mainly house building.
“Many of the local contractors do not have the capacity to compete with foreign contractors, as they do not have the expertise, they do not have the experience. They also have the technical equipment and the financial aspect. So these pose a risk to our local contractors. Therefore, local contractors have turned their attention to small housing projects”, says Mr. Maigari.
Chinese companies have entered the market strongly. As of September 2021, Nigeria's debt to China is $4.1 billion, largely due to infrastructure projects, according to data from Nigeria's Office of Debt Management.
Development consultant Jide Ojo believes that Chinese loans are the factor forcing the government to award construction projects to Chinese companies.
“China gives the loan, but also determines the conditions of the loan, that they must bring their expertise and their infrastructure to implement the project. The fear is that if we fail to repay the debt, a future government will encounter problems and some of these real estates may be seized”, says Mr. Ojo.
The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Tasiu Sa'ad Gidari-Wudil, says the Nigerian government should create a supportive environment for local contractors.
“The government should deliberately invest in our local contractors. How can they invest? By giving us projects and challenging us”, he says.
VOA reached out to the Chinese embassy in Nigeria and Chinese construction company CCECC for comment, but did not receive a response. The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, said in a statement that his country is a major contributor to the development of Nigeria's infrastructure.
But for engineers like Mr. Maigari, the dominance of Chinese construction companies is driving away local talent, while some contractors are looking for better opportunities and others have already started work in other sectors.
“The challenge we have now is that our young people are not being given chances, opportunities for training, preparation, participation,” he says.
For the moment, Mr. Maigari says that together with his colleagues, they will have to focus on building houses.