Nigeria’s outspoken transportation minister Rotimi Amaechi delivered a blunt message to local construction companies who’ve long complained that they’re shut out of bids for the large infrastructure projects that often go to Chinese contractors: “We are not using our local contractors because they are not qualified. If you want to participate, build capacity. We can’t give you a life-threatening contract if we don’t trust your capacity.”
The minister went on to explain that in order to win a federal government building contract, a company must be able to demonstrate five years of experience in the relevant field, an obstacle that most Nigerian construction firms have struggled to overcome.