Julius Berger is a Nigerian
construction
Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
, headquartered in
Abuja
Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...
, with additional permanent locations in
Lagos
Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
and
Uyo.
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is a Nigerian company offering holistic services covering the planning, design, engineering, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings, infrastructure and industry projects in Nigeria.
The company is represented across Nigeria in structural engineering and infrastructure works, and in southern Nigeria through domestic and international oil and gas industry projects. It is known for constructing most of Nigeria's infrastructure, major expressways, and even some residential buildings for the
Chevron Nigeria
Chevron Nigeria Limited is a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation and it is one of the largest oil producers in Nigeria. It was previously operating in Nigeria under the business name of Gulf Oil Company until merger activities changed its name to Che ...
headquarters in Lagos.
The company has been listed on the
Nigerian Stock Exchange
The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX), now Nigerian Exchange Group, is an integrated stock exchange group in Africa founded in 1961 in Lagos. Following the demutualization of the NSE in 2021, NGX Group now has 3 subsidiaries - Nigerian Exchange Limit ...
since 1991. The construction business of Julius Berger is the heart of the Julius Berger Group. With 18,000 employees from close to 40 nations and clients from both Nigeria and the global oil and gas industry.
History
Julius Berger's presence in Nigeria dates back to 1965 when the firm won a tender to construct a ₦31.2 million second mainland bridge In Lagos. The project was a significant civil engineering endeavor because it was the first in the country to be built with pre-stressed concrete. The construction of the bridge was designed in phases with the first phase completed in 1969 and last phase completed in 1974. While working on the project, Berger undertook other projects in the country, municipal water works project in Jos awarded by the government of
Benue-Plateau State
Benue-Plateau State is a former administrative division of Nigeria. It was created on 27 May 1967 from parts of the Northern Region and existed until 3 February 1976, when it was divided into two states - Benue and Plateau
In geology and ...
was the firm's first construction project outside of Lagos State. This project involved building a
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
to conserve rain water and building a dam, water treatment plant and tanks. The firm's efficiency in building the first phase of Eko bridge made it a top choice to repair the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
over
River Niger
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...
which had been damaged during the
civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. This project kept the company busy in Nigeria.
When the war ended, vehicular and shipping traffic in Lagos increased and additional road infrastructure such as Eko bridge did little to ease traffic congestion. To ease traffic congestion, the government awarded Berger additional road construction contracts, the projects and the Niger bridge made viable a permanent establishment in the country. The Lagos State projects included the construction
of the
Lagos - Badagry expressway, Itoikin-Ikorudu-Epe single carriageway, and
ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducin ...
s and
Apapa - Oshodi and Agege Motor Road. Gradually the firm and its blue B logo established a reputation in civil engineering works within the country, this coincided with a period that the federal government focused its attention on developing the country's Trunk A road system. The firm was involved in constructing the 26-mile Lagos to Shagamu portion of Lagos to Ibadan expressway and
Jebba
Jebba town is a Yoruba city in Kwara State, Nigeria. It has views of River Niger, and as of 2007 has an estimated population of 22,411. Northernmost territory of the Yoruba culture is terminated by a landscape feature at Niger River near Jebba. ...
road bridge.
Julius Berger was registered in Nigeria prior to building the
Jos
Jos is a city in the North-Central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. The city is situ ...
water works, in 1974. It sold 40% of its equity to Lagos and Benue-Plateau State governments and three years later sold an additional 20% to the public. After a cement armada caused chaos at Apapa port, the company was invited to build a new port at
Tin Can Island. In the 1970s and early 1980s, it was involved in the civil works at
Aladja
Aladja is a coastal town in Delta State, Nigeria. It is located on the bank of southern part of River Warri. The majority of the people are of Udu, a sub-group of Urhobo ethnic group. a section of the town was occupied by some people of Ijaw e ...
and
Ajaokuta Steel complexes and the new federal capital territory,
Abuja
Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...
.
Timeline
In August 1965, the company founded in Germany undertook its first project in Nigeria - the construction of the
Eko Bridge
Eko Bridge is one of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the others being the Third Mainland and Carter bridges. The bridge was built in 1975 and is the shortest of the three bridges linking Lagos Island to mainland.
It was ...
in Lagos, which was approved by
Shehu Shagari
Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (; 25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018) was a Nigerian politician who was the first democratically elected president of Nigeria, after the transfer of power by Military Head of State of Nigeria, military head of sta ...
when he was a Minister of Works. In 1991 the company was floated on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as "Julius Berger Nigeria Plc".
In 2001 the company moved to its new head office in Abuja.
In 2010
Business World Magazine listed Julius Berger Nigeria Plc as Nigeria's leading construction company.
In 2012 Watertown Energy Ltd., a company of the Nestoil Group acquired 10% of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc's shares, previously owned by
Bilfinger Berger GmbH, raising the company's Nigerian shareholding to 60.1%.
In October 201
the company announces changes to the management structure including the appointment of a new managing director.
Major projects
The company built the
Eko Bridge
Eko Bridge is one of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the others being the Third Mainland and Carter bridges. The bridge was built in 1975 and is the shortest of the three bridges linking Lagos Island to mainland.
It was ...
completed in 1968, the
Third Mainland Bridge
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Lagos Mainland, mainland, the others are the Eko Bridge, Eko and Carter Bridge, Carter bridges. It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th Octo ...
completed in 1990 and the
Abuja Stadium completed in 2003.
Tin Can Island Port
Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) is located in Apapa, the port for the city of Lagos. Tin Can Island Port is seven kilometers due west of the center of Lagos across Lagos Harbor.
Tin Can Island Port was begun in 1976 and opened in 1977. In 1991, the N ...
, commissioned in 1977.
Lagos Inner Ring Road, completed in 1979.
Ajaokuta Steel Plant, completed in 1990.
Itakpe – Ajaokuta Ore Railway, completed in 1990.
Abuja International Airport phase II, completed in 1997.
Central Bank of Nigeria Head Office, completed in 2002.
Uyo infrastructure and road works, ongoing since 2008.
First discharge drain built utilizing pipe-jacking technology in Nigeria, completed in 2011.
National Assembly phase III, completed in 2011.
Multiple projects,
Escravos GTL plant in southern Nigeria, commissioned in 2012.
Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas facility, multiple ongoing works since 1996.
Challawa Gorge Dam Karaye, completed in 1992
Awarded a contract to construct link roads to second Niger bridge(July 4, 2018)
Education
The organization operates
German School Abuja, and formerly operated
German School Lagos.
[schulprofil_2013.pdf]
Archive
. Deutsche Schule Abuja
German School Abuja () is a German international school located on the grounds of the Julius Berger Life Camp in Gwarinpa, Abuja, Nigeria. Its classes go from kindergarten to class 5. The construction company Julius Berger Nigeria PLC operates t ...
. Retrieved on 19 January 2015.
References
External links
*{{Official, http://www.julius-berger.com
Construction and civil engineering companies of Nigeria
Construction and civil engineering companies established in 1950
1950 establishments in Nigeria
Companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange
Economy of Abuja