Nippon Koei Extending Reach In Africa

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Construction consulting firm Nippon Koei Co. (1954) has set up a subsidiary in Maputo, Mozambique, as part of a drive to expand operations in sub-Saharan Africa.

One engineer has been dispatched there to hire and train local staffers. In addition to securing human resources, the new unit will build cooperative relationships with local construction consultants. Security information will be collected from the Japanese Embassy to ensure local staffers' safety.

Nippon Koei will provide local governments with consulting services, such as evaluating proposals from various companies bidding for projects and verifying the quality of work during construction.

Demand related to construction of transportation networks to carry resources mined in the continent's interior to harbors that serve as export bases is expected to grow in the future. And with urban development also increasing demand for power, demand for construction of hydroelectric power plants and other energy-related facilities is likely to stay firm.

Nippon Koei, which already has outposts in Kenya and Botswana, is targeting sales of 3 billion yen in the region in the year ending March 2021.

(The Nikkei Business Daily, March 13 edition)

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