The Town Hall set the foundation for a new pan-African community of experts committed to strengthening Africa’s construction sector, one of the continent’s most important engines of economic and social development
Africa Global News – On Friday, 28 November 2025, ConstructAfrica successfully convened its inaugural Ambassador Town Hall Meeting, bringing together a distinguished group of leaders from across Africa’s construction, infrastructure, finance, legal, education, technology, and policy sectors. This historic gathering marks the formal introduction of the ConstructAfrica Ambassadors Programme, an initiative designed by the ConstructAfrica Industry Advisory Board (CIAB) to champion excellence, collaboration, and thought leadership across the continent’s built-environment ecosystem.
The Town Hall set the foundation for a new pan-African community of experts committed to strengthening Africa’s construction sector, one of the continent’s most important engines of economic and social development.
A Milestone for Africa’s Construction Future
The inaugural Town Hall highlighted both the significance of Africa’s construction and infrastructure landscape and the urgent need for coordinated leadership. The sector (one of the fastest-growing globally) contributes up to 11% of GDP in key African markets, attracts trillions of dollars in pipeline investments, and serves as a catalyst for job creation, industrialisation, regional integration, and improved quality of life across the continent.
Against this backdrop, the Ambassadors Programme aims to mobilise 100 influential leaders by 2026 to help shape a more sustainable, investable, and globally competitive construction industry for Africa.
In introducing the ConstructAfrica Ambassadors Programme, Dr Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, Chair of ConstructAfrica Industry Advisory Board (CIAB), said, “We are delighted to have secured the commitment of highly qualified and enthusiastic corporate executives across the African continent to form the first cohort of the Ambassadors. The Ambassadors Programme brings together a carefully selected group of exceptional professionals and visionaries committed to advancing Africa’s infrastructure transformation. The initiative will serve as a global think tank and collaborative network, elevating Africa’s voice in development discourse and strengthening the flow of insights, innovations, and best practices across the sector. On behalf of the CIAB, I would like to welcome onboard our new ambassadors and look forward to collaborating with each member towards the successful delivery of future programme – strengthening the African construction sector.”
Demonstrating ConstructAfrica’s Commitment to Excellence
The launch of the Town Hall and Ambassadors Programme signals ConstructAfrica’s deepening commitment to supporting Africa’s construction ecosystem with reliable market intelligence, strategic dialogue, and platforms for knowledge exchange.
Sharing his reflections on the significance of the programme, Dr. Segun Faniran, Founder and Publisher of ConstructAfrica, said: “The ConstructAfrica Ambassadors Programme brings together distinguished thought leaders from diverse fields across key sectors relevant to the African construction landscape. Through this initiative, we are building a powerful network of visionaries committed to advancing industry standards, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of infrastructure development in Africa. The programme reflects ConstructAfrica’s commitment to market intelligence, thought leadership, and sustainable growth, laying the foundation for a more connected and resilient continent.”
As a pan-African hub for data, insights, and thought leadership, ConstructAfrica remains dedicated to empowering investors, developers, policymakers, and practitioners to make informed decisions that lead to sustainable, impactful infrastructure delivery.
The Town Hall concluded with expressions of gratitude to the inaugural cohort of Ambassadors – leaders whose expertise and passion reflect ConstructAfrica’s vision of building a stronger, more connected, and more resilient Africa.
LIST OF THE AMBASSADORS
| S/N | Name | Role | Area of Expertise | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jumoke Ogundare | Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Lagoon Highways Limited | Developer & Investor | Nigeria |
| 2 | Hakeem Ogunniran | Chair, Eximia Realty | Housing Development | Nigeria |
| 3 | Grace Bema | Managing Director, BCHOD Consulting Engineers | Design Engineering | Zimbabwe |
| 4 | Rob Morson | Partner, Pinsent Masons | Legal / Solicitors | South Africa |
| 5 | Tunde Fagbemi | Chair, Dukia Gold | Aviation & Mining | Nigeria |
| 6 | Eddie Andrews | Deputy Mayor of Cape Town | Government | South Africa |
| 7 | Colette Yende | Chief Procurement Officer, Transnet Engineering | Procurement | South Africa |
| 8 | Bruce Mutaurwa | Chief Executive Officer, Rapidus Engineering | Civil Engineering | South Africa |
| 9 | Nkgatho Tlale | Deputy Vice Chancellor, Tshwane University of Technology | Engineering / Academic Leadership | South Africa |
| 10 | Mqhele Dlodlo | Vice Chancellor, NUST, Zimbabwe | Engineering / Academic Leadership | Zimbabwe |
| 11 | Vibhuti Jain | MD, Regional Head of Africa, DFC | Infrastructure Finance | South Africa |
| 12 | Denamo Addisie | Professor, Addis Ababa University | Construction Project Management | Ethiopia |
| 13 | Sophonias Deneke | Director, Amigos Institute | Construction Technology | Ethiopia |
| 14 | Wubishet Jekale Menegsha | Director, Jekale CM Consultancy | Construction | Ethiopia |
| 15 | Shiferaw Alemu | Program Director, Ethiopian Aviation | Infrastructure Development | Ethiopia |
| 16 | Refilwe S. Buthelezi | President, Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO) | Engineering Leadership | South Africa |
| 17 | Kazawedi Papias | Managing Director, TASK Africa | Engineering Leadership | Tanzania |
| 18 | James Afolalu | Program Manager (Data), Cognizant | Infrastructure Asset Management; IT | Nigeria |
| 19 | Alfie Chimedza | Director, Programme Advisory, Gleeds | Infrastructure Advisory | Zimbabwe |
| 20 | Yusuf Abdi | Construction Engineer, Cullen, Grummitt & Roe | Construction Engineering | Somalia |
| 21 | Bwalya Lumbwe | Construction Dispute Expert, Incipio, Zambia | Construction Law; FIDIC | Zambia |
| 22 | Derrick Nkera | Director, Turner & Townsend, Rwanda | Cost Management; Construction Consulting; East Africa | Rwanda |
| 23 | Lanre Lawale | Group Leader, Technical Specialist Services – India, Middle East and Africa, Arup | Façade Engineering | Nigeria |
| 24 | Wale Okubadejo | Managing Partner, OAC Architects | Architecture | Nigeria |
| 25 | Igbuan Okaisobor | Chief Executive Officer, Construction Kaiser | Construction Business | Nigeria |
| 26 | Claire Barclay | Partner, Pinsent Masons | Construction Law; Infrastructure Project Planning; Finance Structuring; Risk Management | South Africa |
| 27 | Theophilus Shittu | UNESCO Chair in Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development | Sustainable Architecture; Urbanism; Architectural Technology; Construction Technology; Construction Management | Nigeria |
| 28 | Ronald Mbiu | Consultant Quantity Surveyor & Construction Project Manager, Endelevu Designs, Kenya | Sustainable Design & Construction Services | Kenya |
| 29 | Charles Malek | Global Director, Structural & Bridge Engineering, Dar Al Handasah (DAR) | Bridge Engineering; Building Structures; 3D Printing | (based in Lebanon) |
| 30 | Hussein Mohammed | Professor of Civil Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria | Engineering Materials; Operational & Performance Evaluation of Engineering Structures | Nigeria |
| 31 | Aramide Adeyoye | Chief Executive Officer, ABM Infrastructure Advisory | Infrastructure Planning; Engineering Procurement & Construction | Nigeria |
| 32 | Katelula Kaswaga | Bridge Engineer, Yoosh | Bridge Engineering | Tanzania |
| 33 | Vishal Haripersad | Managing Director, Knight Piésold Southern Africa | Engineering (Mining & Infrastructure) | South Africa |
| 34 | Rizwan Qadri | Managing Director, Riz Consulting Services Limited | Infrastructure & Consulting | Tanzania |
| 35 | Brighton Mapfumo | Project Manager, Seychelles Infrastructure Agency | Project Management & Quantity Surveying | Seychelles |
| 36 | Charles Gavamukulya | Managing Director (Contracts and Commercial Lead), CG Engineering Consults | Construction Law & Dispute Resolution | Uganda |
| 37 | Concepter Ouma | Quantity Surveyor | Quantity Surveying | Kenya |
| 38 | John Beecroft | Chief Executive Officer, Tetramanor | Finance; Contracting | Nigeria |
| 39 | Effie Mpakati-Gama | Vice-Chancellow, University of Hebron, Malawi; Consultant, Sustainable Construction, Malawi | Sustainability; Green Construction | Malawi |
| 40 | Marzia Traverso | Professor of Sustainability in Civil Engineering; Co-founder, Circular SRL | Sustainability; Green Construction | (based in Germany) |
| 41 | Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu | Department Head, Quantity Survey & Construction Management, University of the Free State | Construction | South Africa |
| 42 | Abimbola Windapo | Deputy Dean, University of Cape Town | Construction | South Africa / Nigeria |
| 43 | Olusegun Ijalana | Senior Architect / Project Manager, Seychelles Infrastructure Agency | Architecture | Nigeria / Seychelles |
| 44 | Marde van Wyk | Private Markets Principal Consultant, 27four | Finance | South Africa |
| 45 | Elton Zingwevu | Chief Executive Officer, Excellentia Training Solutions | Insurance | South Africa |
| 46 | Femi Edun | Director, Frontier Capital Ltd | Project Structuring | Nigeria |
| 47 | Halima Kyari | Director, Access Bank PLC | Risk Management | Nigeria |
