By ANAYO OKOLI

UMUAHIA—A $300 million (about N60 billion) Aba Mega Mall is now being built by Greenfield Assets Limited- indigenous developers, which engaged Nigerian engineers in all aspects of the job. President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Ademola Olorunfemi who inspected the project commended the quality of work, saying that Nigerian were capable of handling any type of engineering work if given the opportunity.

Nigerian Engineers

Olorunfemi spoke in Aba when he led a delegation of the society to inspect the multi-billion Naira project in Osisioma Ngwa, near Aba, Abia State, describing it “as a practical demonstration of patriotism.”

He commended and owners of the mall for their initiative as well as for engaging the services of indigenous engineers, pointing out that the mall would engender economic activities in Abia State in particular and the South-East geopolitical zone in general.

Olorunfemi also, challenged other Nigerians with the means to emulate Greenfield Assets by providing similar infrastructure that would create jobs for especially, indigenous engineers, saying that the NSE was interested in engineering developments in the country hence it encouraged projects like the Aba Mega Mall.

“It is part of our responsibility as a professional body to encourage this kind of development. This is a $300 million project and the implication is huge. It is even good that he engaged largely Nigerian professionals, artisans and all the likes. “What we are telling government is that they should approach professionals from other countries through our own professionals.

We should not just give out our money; give out our jobs to foreigners that would hinder us from developing capacity. Even though engineering has no frontiers, consideration should be given to local and environmental issues,” Olurenfemi argued. For Mr. Paul Obanua, owner of Greenfield Assets Limited, the company embarked on the project to provide infrastructure, engender renewal of the commercial city and stimulate new culture in Aba.

“Singapore is what it is today, because of the infrastructure in the place. So, if we are also able to stimulate infrastructure development from here, the culture of the city of Aba will also be improved. Starting from this retail infrastructure, called Aba Mega Mall and the connecting road we said we are going to do as part of our corporate social responsibility to the community, we hope that urban renewal will be engendered in Aba.

“We are already done with the first phase and by the end of this year, the second phase would have been completed,” he explained. Aba Mega Mall, according to him, would be the biggest mall in Africa with a 100,000 square metre shopping space and a dry port, which will be the first of its kind in Africa Another 100-room hotel would be coming up in the second phase of the project.