Building in the Rains: Project Delivery Under African Conditions
In this compelling episode of Making Infrastructure Happen, titled Building in the Rains, the conversation moves decisively away from boardroom theories and financing spreadsheets to the muddy, rain-soaked reality of building infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa. The central argument is stark: infrastructure projects rarely fail at the financing stage—they fail in the field. They fail when cement trucks don't arrive, when rains come weeks earlier than forecast, and when pristine project schedules collapse on first contact with actual ground conditions.
Hosts are joined by two seasoned practitioners: Abbas Agbaje, CEO of ImpactCrest Consulting and Environmental and Social Safeguards Consultant for the African Development Bank Group, and Tunde Agoro, a Chartered Environmentalist and Technical Director with nearly two decades of experience at AECOM, Hoare Lea, and RPS Group. Together, they offer unflinching, frontline insight into what really goes wrong—and what could go right.
The episode unpacks five core questions. First, what are the most underestimated on-the-ground implementation challenges? The answer includes everything from logistics failures to the absence of basic materials where they are most needed. Second, how do local supply chain gaps and import dependency drive cost overruns? A six-week delay on a critical material, combined with naira volatility, can cripple a project's budget and timeline. Third, how honest are project schedules about climate and terrain? The experts argue that too many projects are designed for an idealized version of Africa, not the Africa of torrential rains, unstable soils, and shifting seasons.
The discussion also tackles the supervisory skills gap. Nigeria may have one of the continent's largest construction workforces, but the shortage of experienced site supervisors and project managers who can translate designs into real-time decisions remains a critical bottleneck. Finally, the episode confronts procurement mechanics: the lowest-bidder model, the lack of climate-adaptive contract design, and what must change—and who must change it.
The episode closes with rapid-fire insights: the most overlooked climate risk, one African country getting project delivery right, and what a project lead should do when the rainy season starts in two weeks with only 40% completion. For any young project engineer listening, the parting advice is to build with eyes wide open—to climate, terrain, supply chains, and the people making it happen on the ground.
This is essential listening for anyone who funds, designs, delivers, or cares about infrastructure that actually works in Africa.
Guest Speakers’ Profiles
Abass Agbaje
Abbas Agbaje is the CEO and Managing Consultant at ImpactCrest Consulting and a Sustainability Policy Advisor. An alumnus of the University of Greenwich and Quantic School of Business and Technology, he specializes in green finance, impact assessments, and climate policy across Africa. He has spearheaded pioneering sustainable projects, including Nigeria’s first certified green infrastructure bonds for solar mini grids during his tenure at InfraCredit.
Currently, he serves as an Environmental and Social Safeguards Consultant for the African Development Bank Group and serves as the Technical Anchor for the Sustainability Policy Commission of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Tunde Agoro
Tunde Agoro is a Chartered Environmentalist and Technical Director specializing in ESG and Sustainable Business. With nearly two decades of international experience spanning architecture, real estate, and engineering consultancies, he has held senior leadership roles at firms including AECOM, Hoare Lea, Hydrock, and RPS Group. He holds advanced degrees from Imperial College London and the London School of Economics and is a recognized expert in human-centric "Healthy Building" design.
Beyond his corporate work, he serves as a visiting lecturer at top UK universities and actively contributes to community leadership as a school governor, charity board trustee, and volunteer police officer.
Key Discussion Points
Key Discussion Points
Interpreting the sector at present: panellists discussed the following themes;
-
Underestimated On-the-Ground Challenges: Infrastructure projects often fail not at the financing stage but in the field—due to early rains, material shortages, and logistics failures that no project appraisal document anticipates.
- Supply Chain Gaps & Import Dependency: Local shortages of cement, rebar, and specialist equipment, combined with foreign exchange volatility (e.g., naira shifts), cause significant cost overruns and six-week-plus delays that contractors struggle to absorb.
- Climate & Terrain Blindspots: Project schedules are rarely honest about rainy seasons, soil conditions, and terrain. Many projects are designed for an idealised version of Africa rather than the actual climate realities on the ground.
- Supervisory Gaps & Procurement Flaws: Despite a large workforce, there is a critical shortage of experienced site supervisors. The lowest-bidder contract model worsens outcomes, and changes are needed in how contracts are designed and awarded to prioritise climate adaptation and real-world execution.
Produced by The Africa Catalyst Podcast Team within BRAC Studio, the episode was moderated by Chisom Osunwa.
