Stakeholders in Nigeria's infrastructure and climate control ecosystem have projected significant growth in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) sector, even as they identified structural gaps hindering its full potential.
This formed the focus of discussions at the maiden West Africa Infrastructure Expo and HVAC-R Nigeria held in Lagos, a 3-day event organised by dmg events where major industry players showcased modern cooling technologies and solutions.
Speaking at the Expo, dmg events, Senior Vice President, Josine Heijman, remarked that the HVAC sector is rapidly expanding, with strong monetary value and future prospects across Africa.
"HVACR is a very important sector as well. Looking in Africa as a continent, it's a sector which is already very strong. In 2023, there was $2.6 billion of market share specifically for the HVAC sector, and we see in less than 10 years, this is forecast to grow to $5.6 billion," she said.
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She added that Nigeria remains a critical market within the value chain due to its high dependence on imported cooling systems.
"And actually Nigeria is the country with the highest import value of HVAC solutions. So it's definitely a sector which we see further evolving and growing over the years to come," Heijman stated.
Speaking on the importance of the expo, she described it as a strategic convergence point for stakeholders aimed at unlocking value and addressing systemic challenges within the sector.
"We are here today at the inaugural edition of West Africa Infrastructure Expo as well as HVAC-R Nigeria. This is really a gathering for all the stakeholders across the infrastructure and heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry, bringing really together private and public sector stakeholders for different reasons," she said.
According to her, beyond product exhibitions, the platform is structured to drive conversations around investment, innovation and project delivery.
"One of them is really exploring latest products, solutions, but we also offer various platforms where we really address challenges as well as opportunities for Nigeria's and West Africa's infrastructure development as well as building services industry," she added.
She stressed that the growing population and urban expansion in Nigeria continue to drive demand for cooling solutions, making HVAC systems a critical component of infrastructure planning.
"Every Nigerian needs infrastructure, needs housing, needs cooling solutions and it's really about how can we move development, investment, but also more importantly delivery for those important sectors forward," Heijman noted.
However, industry experts at the event highlighted persistent gaps within the infrastructure and HVACR ecosystem, particularly in coordination, funding and technical capacity.
Commenting, Deputy President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Engr. Valerie Agberagba, said overlapping responsibilities among government institutions remain a major bottleneck.
"You have to be ethical and transparent in whatever you do. Then we also have the communication, you have the federal, state and sub-national activities going on. So that overlap is there, so it's a gap," she said.
However, she, warned that failure to bridge such disconnects could continue to stall infrastructure delivery.
"You have situations where there are projects in the federal level that run into the state. There has to be that connect for them to be able to work together. And until we do that, we might not be able to get what we want," Agberagba added.
She emphasised the need to harness domestic resources to drive infrastructure and HVACR investments.
"People talk about the foreign direct investment, but we know that we have funds within the country that we can use for infrastructural development... If people can look inwards, we can actually be able to achieve some of our desired goals," she said.
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Agberagba also pointed to the widening skills gap in the sector, noting that rapid technological advancement, including artificial intelligence, requires continuous capacity building for engineers.
"Engineering is evolving as we're talking about AI now and what makes you relevant is your training, your exposure to new technologies, new software for you to use for your design," she stated.
She added that structured training programmes, including a one-year post-graduation residency, are being deployed to ensure engineers are industry-ready.
Agberagba maintained that forums like the expo remain essential for driving practical solutions.
"If we want this to work, then this summit is one of the things that must happen and it's not just a talk show. It's something that the recommendations are actionable," she said.
Meanwhile, pamelists at the expo agreed that bridging these gaps is critical to unlocking the projected multi-billion dollar value of the HVACR sector and improving cooling systems across Nigeria.
