A Bigen Africa delegation comprising Bigen Africa Chairman, Dr Iraj Abedian, CEO Dr Snowy Khoza and Executive Director West Africa, Mr CJ Venter will be attending the FIDIC-GAMA Conference to be held in Accra (Ghana) from 12 – 15 April. Dr Khoza will present a paper on “The status of infrastructure development on our continent” with the main focus on environmental, social and economic impacts – how to measure and report on these impacts. Bigen Africa also invites delegates to the Gama Conference to visit their stand and to meet the Bigen Africa delegation.
Bigen Africa, a solutions driven infrastructure development company with core capabilities in engineering, management consulting and development finance, has strengthened its presence in Ghana by opening an office in Accra. The company operates from Capital Place 11 Patrice Lumumba Road, Airport Residential Area , Accra, Ghana.
Born on African soil four decades ago, Bigen Africa has evolved into a provider of sustainable infrastructure solutions, designed to accelerate the pace of infrastructure development and to benefit all stakeholders in a project.
“At Bigen Africa, we developed an innovative and holistic approach to optimise the value we add to infrastructure development,” says Dr Snowy Khoza, chief executive officer.
“For us, phrases such as ‘sustainable infrastructure’, ‘holistic approach’, ‘quality of stakeholders’ lives’ and ‘complete solution’ are not hollow words. Our proven expertise in engineering, management consulting and development finance forms the core of a product offering that proactively seeks the best outcome for customer, community and country.”
Project Development
Under Bigen Africa’s management, policy and consulting methodology, mutually beneficial agreements stipulate how a development should be structured, funded, implemented, maintained and operated to ensure sustainability.
This approach spans its capabilities across the three core offerings, namely land development, energy, water and sanitation, structures, roads and transport and mining and industrial (engineering services); development economics, project-delivery services and asset and revenue management (management consulting): and international finance and development finance and advisory services (development finance).
“Our approach is that a water pipeline to a mine is an infrastructure product. A water pipeline to a mine, channelled through a community in conjunction with customer and government, is an infrastructure solution benefitting all stakeholders. The client receives the requested water supply, the community benefits from fresh water and the relevant government body accomplishes one of its social development targets,” says Dr Khoza.
“When we approach authorities to co-partner projects to benefit communities, we go out of our way to facilitate the most viable planning environment to raise funds through our affiliation with more than twenty development finance institutions.”
Doing Good While Doing Business
Additional value-add for communities is provided by Bigen Africa’s philosophy of doing good while doing business. Community investments in areas the company works, are planned in advance and channelled through a trust which has third-party buy-in to increase the impact of projects such as building schools, clinics, roads or other infrastructure on the well-being of people. The company sponsors and supports the trust, the Intuthuko Foundation, in collaboration with stakeholders and host communities.
“By seeking viable solutions in conjunction with, and to the benefit of all stakeholders, we achieve our vision of developing sustainable infrastructure to improve the quality of life of all,” says Snowy.
“Our approach to projects is summarised by our value proposition to customers, governments and communities – namely to provide infrastructure development solutions through a holistic approach which encompasses in-house capabilities, strategic partnerships and off-taker needs to optimise project validity and add innovative and sustainable value to the full spectrum of services we provide.”
Bigen Africa has already cemented strong affiliations in Ghana, through its partnership agreement with Associated Consultants, the largest local consulting engineering practice in Ghana. Associated Consultants, a wholly Ghanaian –owned company, was established in Ghana on 1 July 1968.
Partnerships – determined by product, customer and regional requirements – include project-based partnerships, joint ventures, mergers or acquisitions, virtual liaisons, working agreements without common interest and social or enterprise portfolios, including public-private partnerships.
Indigenisation Requirements
In all instances, partnering are subject to the stringent Bigen Africa indigenisation requirements, including an understanding of the policy and regulatory frameworks of a region, a sincere interest in the economic and social growth of a country and a policy of sourcing resources locally where possible.
This approach summarises The Bigen Way, namely the delivery of products and services in a way that reinforces key emerging public policy priorities within Sub-Saharan Africa. The capabilities and products of the company have been selected and developed to promote inclusive economic growth and human development.
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