Top inspiring business leaders driving Nigeria’s Economic growth: Kamen construction Ltd

To Celebrate Inspiring business leaders of Excellence driving Nigeria’s Economic growth, Chioma kachi Ewelike sat with the professional par excellence in person of Dr Edmond Oshioke Managing director /CEO of Kamen construction Ltd

1. Tell me about your yourself?

My name is Dr. Edmund Oshioke, and I am the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kamen Construction Limited, a Nigerian construction and infrastructure development company delivering projects across civil infrastructure, housing, estate development and other critical infrastructure sectors.

I also serve as a Member of the Governing Council of the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), where I contribute to industry development, professional standards and broader conversations around the growth of Nigeria’s construction sector.

2. Construction costs have risen significantly. How are inflation, exchange rates, the rising cost of building materials and access to finance affecting project delivery, property prices and the ability of Nigerians to own homes?

When we started Kamen Construction in 2016, the economics of construction were very different. Cement was around ₦1,350–₦1,800 per 50kg bag, compared with roughly ₦12,000–₦15,000 today. The same pressure has affected steel, bitumen, cables, equipment, transportation, diesel and labour.

Exchange-rate depreciation has further increased costs because many construction inputs and machinery are imported or linked to foreign exchange. Global supply-chain disruptions, inflation, energy costs and Nigeria’s economic pressures have fundamentally changed the cost of delivering projects.

Financing is another major challenge. Construction is capital-intensive, and rising financing costs ultimately affect property prices, while household incomes have not risen at the same pace.

For me, Nigeria’s housing challenge cannot be solved simply by building more houses. We must reduce the cost of delivering infrastructure and housing while creating financing structures that allow people to pay over reasonable periods.

This thinking has influenced Kamen’s evolution towards structured infrastructure delivery and financing models, including our Infrastructure Development Services platform.

The future of Nigerian construction is therefore not just about asking, “How much will it cost to build?” but also, “How do we structure, finance and deliver projects efficiently enough to keep infrastructure affordable?

3. Quality, Speed & Customer Expectations: Quality and timely delivery are increasingly important to clients and investors. How does Kamen Construction manage the pressure to deliver projects faster without compromising construction standards, safety and customer expectations?

For us at Kamen Construction, speed and quality are not competing objectives. The goal is to build a system that allows us to achieve both without compromising construction standards, safety or client expectations.

We have learned that many construction delays originate before work even begins—in poor planning, procurement delays, inadequate coordination or slow decision-making. So, we focus on controlling the project from the planning stage, with clear scope, timelines, costs, procurement requirements and quality standards.

Quality control is built into the process. Materials and workmanship are inspected against approved specifications, while technical supervision, safety controls and regular project reviews help us identify and correct problems early.

We also place strong emphasis on procurement and resource planning. The right materials, equipment and people must be available when they are needed if a project is to stay on schedule.

Safety remains non-negotiable. Delivering a project quickly is not success if quality or safety has been compromised.

Ultimately, we believe reliability comes from systems, not individual heroics. Our philosophy is simple: plan properly, mobilise correctly, monitor continuously, identify problems early and hold people accountable for results.

4. What Makes Kamen Different? What differentiates Kamen Construction in an increasingly competitive construction market, and what should clients, investors and development partners expect when they choose to work with Kamen?

What differentiates Kamen Construction is our ability to go beyond traditional contracting. We combine construction expertise with project management, infrastructure development, commercial structuring and financing solutions.

Since 2016, we have built experience across construction, infrastructure development, aggregates and related services. This gives us a broader understanding of what it takes to move a project from concept and planning through procurement, financing, construction and completion.

A key differentiator is our ability to structure solutions around the specific needs of a project. Through our Infrastructure Development Services platform, we are developing models that bring together technical delivery and financing, helping governments, institutions and developers deliver projects without necessarily carrying the full financial burden upfront.

We are also focused on building strong institutional systems—clear processes, technical standards, project controls and measurable accountability—so that our performance is consistent and not dependent on individual personalities.

Ultimately, Kamen offers clients and partners more than a contractor. We offer an integrated delivery partner that can help structure, finance and execute infrastructure projects.

Our ambition is simple: to be the company clients trust to turn complex infrastructure requirements into practical, deliverable and sustainable projects.

5. Partnerships, Investment & Growth: Kamen is increasingly positioned to participate in major infrastructure, real estate and public-sector opportunities. What role do strategic partnerships and collaboration with government, developers, financial institutions and other industry stakeholders play in Kamen’s growth strategy?

Strategic partnerships are central to Kamen’s growth because major infrastructure projects require more than one organization. They require the right combination of technical expertise, capital, land, construction capacity and strong project governance.

Our objective is to position Kamen as a credible partner within that ecosystem. With government and developers, we bring technical and construction capacity; with financial institutions and investors, we help structure projects to make them commercially viable and financeable.

This is particularly important as we expand our Infrastructure Development Services platform.

We are developing structured project-financing models where the capital required to deliver an infrastructure project can be raised upfront from financial or investment partners, while the project owner repays that investment over an agreed period through defined contractual payment mechanisms. This can reduce the need for the project owner to fund the entire development cost upfront.

We also work with specialized engineering firms, consultants, equipment providers and other technical partners where their expertise strengthens project delivery.

For us, partnership is not simply about winning contracts or raising capital. It is about bringing complementary capabilities together to make complex projects commercially viable and deliverable.

As Kamen enters its next phase, our ambition is to build an ecosystem of trusted partners that strengthens our ability to originate, structure, finance and deliver infrastructure projects.

6: The Bigger Kamen Vision: Looking ahead, what is the bigger ambition for Kamen Construction? Do you see the company primarily as a Nigerian construction business, a pan-African construction and development company, or something much bigger—and what would you like Kamen’s contribution to Nigeria’s economic growth to be remembered for?

Our ambition for Kamen is much bigger than remaining a conventional Nigerian construction company. Nigeria will remain central to our business, but our long-term vision is to build a Pan-African infrastructure development and delivery company.

Construction is our foundation, but our larger opportunity is in infrastructure development, project structuring and financing. Africa has enormous infrastructure needs, and we want Kamen to help bridge that gap by bringing together technical expertise, capital, innovation and disciplined execution.

Over the next decade, we want to build an institution capable of originating, structuring, financing and delivering major infrastructure projects across sectors and African markets.

But our ambition is ultimately about impact, not just size. We want to contribute to infrastructure that improves productivity, creates jobs and strengthens communities.

I want Kamen to demonstrate that an African company can build a world-class institution from Africa—one that attracts capital, develops talent and delivers to internationally credible standards.

When people look back at Kamen’s journey, I want them to say we did more than construct physical structures. We helped make infrastructure possible, created opportunities and contributed to building a more productive African economy.

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