ConstructAfrica has launched the ConstructAfrica Industry Advisory Board (CIAB), a 14-member board of influential stakeholders from across Africa’s construction and infrastructure sector, aiming to foster strategic infrastructure dialogue across the continent.
The strategic agency will support ConstructAfrica’s mission to provide thought leadership, strategic insights and actionable intelligence to Africa’s construction and infrastructure market, which is expected to reach approximately US$2 trillion by 2025 due to rapid urbanization, population growth, improved governance and increased investment in infrastructure projects.
The continent’s infrastructure development needs are underlined by an estimated annual funding gap of US$130 billion, highlighting the critical need for strategic investments and innovative solutions.
CIAB, in collaboration with ConstructAfrica, will draw global attention to this funding gap and highlight potential solutions and major infrastructure projects to fill the gap. The Board will also support ConstructAfrica’s growth, guiding its content and engagement strategy and strengthening its reach and relevance across African markets.
chairman
Dr. Nelson Ogunshakin will chair CIAB and brings over 35 years of global experience in infrastructure investment planning, finance, procurement, delivery and asset management. Dr. Nelson has received numerous awards, including serving as founder and chairman of AEO Group, a boutique infrastructure investment delivery and advisory organization.
Since 2015, he has also chaired the investment committee of infrastructure and climate change fund manager ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment’s USD 250 million PE infrastructure fund, overseeing the implementation of a number of sustainable power generation and transport projects in West Africa.
Dr. Nelson is the immediate past CEO of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and has company-wide responsibility for FIDIC’s worldwide operations. He was appointed by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, as a director of Transport for London (TfL) from 2016 to 2024, an operator with an annual turnover of £12 billion, and was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth for his contribution to the UK’s infrastructure development, engineering and construction industry.
CIAB member
chris campbell
Chris Campbell is CEO of Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), where he leads efforts to promote engineering excellence and professional standards. He also served as Chairman of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and Chairman of the Directors and Secretaries Advisory Committee of FIDIC.
With over 40 years in the industry, Mr Campbell has held a variety of senior positions including Infrastructure Manager for Transnet’s iron ore and coal export lines and Executive General Manager of Abeng Infraset Ltd in South Africa.
Derek Omas
Derek Omas is the Director General of the Seychelles Infrastructure Agency (SIA), which oversees the planning and implementation of national infrastructure projects. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in managing important developments in the country, including addressing affordable housing and strengthening judicial infrastructure.
Dr. Olubukola Tokede
Dr Olubukola Tokede is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Principal (International) in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Deakin University, Australia. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in integrating lifecycle thinking into building and infrastructure projects.
Dr Tokede founded and leads the ‘Thinking Buildings’ project at Deakin University, which fosters collaboration between academia and industry to promote sustainable practices in the built environment.
He is a Life Cycle Certified Assessment Professional (LCACP) and founder of the African LCA Institute (ALIES) and is passionate about advancing sustainability assessment methodologies.
Dr. Segun Faniran
Dr. Segun Faniran is the founder and publisher of ConstructAfrica and is recognized as a thought leader in Africa’s construction industry. With over 30 years of international experience as a civil engineer, he has held roles in academia, government, contracting and consulting in Nigeria, Australia, UAE, Oman, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Faniran has advised on up to US$13 billion worth of infrastructure projects across sectors including aviation, retail, industrial, oil and gas, and power.
Engineer Amanuel Hailemariam
As General Manager of the Ethiopian Society of Civil Engineers (EACE) and Vice-President of the Project Management Institute (PMI) Ethiopia Chapter, engineer Amanuel Hailemariam champions professional standards, leads national infrastructure efforts, and promotes sustainable development.
He is a registered professional engineer in Ethiopia and a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 10 years of experience in project and construction management.
Engineer Amanuel is widely known for his technical leadership, commitment to capacity development, and active involvement in the advancement of Ethiopia’s engineering sector.
gilbert sassin
Gilbert Sasin is the Group Managing Director of Craneburg Construction, one of the largest construction companies in Nigeria. Our track record of delivering complex and high-impact infrastructure and building projects has helped shape significant transportation and urban development initiatives across the country.
Sassine is recognized for promoting local content, community development, and quality-oriented construction practices. He has been awarded the national honour, Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), for his contribution to Nigeria’s infrastructure sector.
jenny chamberlain
Jenni Chamberlain is the Founder and CEO of Altree Capital, a leading provider of African wealth management and investment advisory services to institutional investors around the world. She is a portfolio manager of Altree Capital’s award-winning Africa Opportunity Fund and Altree Credit Fund, and is a founding partner of the Altree Kazi Gender Climate Fund, which focuses on gender-perspective and climate-smart investing in sub-Saharan Africa.
At Altree Capital, Mr. Chamberlain’s approach is bold and transformative, investing in businesses that drive financial returns, economic growth, and social equity, along with climate resilience. She has been included in the African Wealth Management Power 50, which ranks the top 10 most influential, innovative and influential people in the African wealth management industry.
Prior to joining Altree Capital, Mr. Chamberlain founded Securities Africa, a pan-African securities and advisory firm, and held senior positions focused on African equities at HSBC in the UK and Societe Generale in France. Her extensive experience includes investment banking, corporate advisory and working on sustainable and inclusive investment practices across African markets.
mark worrall
Mark Worrall is CEO of Estates and Infrastructure Exchange (EIX), a regulated global platform revolutionizing the financing and trading of infrastructure projects. Under his leadership, EIX is contributing to closing the US$64 trillion gap in global infrastructure financing by providing institutional investment opportunities and securing efficient financing solutions for project owners.
Worrall’s entrepreneurial journey includes founding US-based Expand Consulting and Sweden-based Propel Capital Partners, with a focus on corporate and project financing. His previous career included senior positions at Thomson Reuters and Algorithmics in Canada, specializing in enterprise risk and European expansion.
matthew jordan tank
Matthew Jordan-Tank is Director of Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where he oversees policy support and project preparation across the energy, transport and local government sectors. His work includes upstream policy support, advising on public-private partnership (PPP) transactions, and improving project preparation efficiency.
Jordan Tank has contributed to various working groups of the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), the G20 Intergovernmental Forum, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on global infrastructure initiatives. Previously, he was Head of the EBRD’s Infrastructure Policy Unit and Senior Urban Transport Specialist.
Malani Padayachi Samman
Malani Padayachee-Saman is a professional civil engineer and CEO of MPAMOT, South Africa’s first female-owned and led engineering and development consultancy. With over 30 years’ experience in urban infrastructure and project management, she has led projects for major public sector clients including local authorities, freight transport and logistics company Transnet, national power company Eskom and South African Airports Company.
(ACSA).
A passionate advocate for women’s leadership and the growth of small consulting practices, Padayachie-Saman is the only African CEO to serve on the FIDIC Global Leadership Forum Advisory Board and is a member of the South African Academy of Engineers.
Professor Dr. Khumbulani Mpofu
Dr Khumbulani Mpofu is Vice-Chancellor of Solsi University in Zimbabwe and Vice-Chairman of the International Railways Research Committee of the International Union of Railways. He is the Founder and Director of the South African Railway Manufacturing Center Rapid Incubator for Entrepreneurship and was previously Professor of Industrial Engineering at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he also held the Research Chair in Future Transport Manufacturing Technologies and the Gibela Research Chair in Manufacturing and Skills Development.
Professor Mpofu is a world leader in industrial engineering with expertise in advanced manufacturing, robotics, mechatronics, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. He is committed to fostering intentional industry-led engagement with academia to advance innovation and sustainable development in Africa’s knowledge economy, engineering and education sectors.
Rachel More Oshodi
Rachel More-Oshodi is Managing Director and CEO of ARM-Harith Infrastructure Investment and has over 20 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, and development finance. More-Oshodi has successfully built and financed projects totaling over US$7 billion to strengthen energy access, transportation networks and industrial infrastructure across emerging markets.
Her previous leadership roles include positions at TotalEnergies in France, Rand Merchant Bank in South Africa, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and AES Corporation in the United States, spanning regions such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
richard stockdale
Richard Stockdale is an international corporate consultant and senior independent director at Dahl Global, a London-listed luxury property developer. A former CEO of UK-based Lloyds Banking Group’s Middle East and India operations, he has decades of global leadership in finance, governance and business strategy. Stockdale has advised institutions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, with a focus on governance, sustainable development and anti-corruption.
He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Bankers, an Honorary Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments, City of London and a Life Fellow of the Indian Institute of Directors.
ConstructAfrica provides actionable market intelligence, construction project updates and infrastructure data through its online platform. ConstructAfrica plays a key role in building a more sustainable and connected construction industry across Africa, with a focus on providing actionable insights to industry stakeholders, investors and policy makers.
If you have any further inquiries, please contact us at:
Dr. Segun Faniran
Email: hello@constructafrica.com
Phone: +971 56 566 4792
Photo above: Africa on Earth (© James Wiseman | Unsplash)
