The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Dr. Peer Lubasch, has emphasized that the emergence of artificial intelligence heralds a groundbreaking era of ‘construction intelligence’, where AI is fundamentally reshaping and enriching engineering processes.
He articulated this insight at the illustrious 2025 Luminary Soiree of the esteemed engineering construction firm, recently convened in Lagos.
According to him, Julius Berger, along with its affiliates and subsidiaries, has already commenced the integration of AI into their operations, stating, “In our laboratories and material testing facilities, AI-driven analytics are enhancing our precision, accelerating results, and facilitating more astute decisions in quality assurance. We are experiencing what I would classify as construction intelligence.
“At PrimeTech, a subsidiary focused on design and engineering, we are employing generative designs, collaborative platforms, and automated clash detection to streamline planning cycles.
Our aspirations extend further as we endeavor to embed AI into every facet of design, enabling us to deliver projects more swiftly, with heightened accuracy.
“Collectively, these innovations will metamorphose Julius Berger into a data-centric, intelligent construction entity, establishing new benchmarks in performance, safety, quality, and client satisfaction.
“AI is unlocking unprecedented creative possibilities, supported by authentic data and simulation, as well as imparting a new clarity in risk assessment and return on investment, bridging intricate infrastructure demands with expedited and efficient project delivery. We view AI as a catalyst across every segment of Julius Berger’s value chain, encompassing predictive maintenance, adaptable scheduling, real-time safety surveillance, accelerated cost estimations, intelligent dashboards, and proactive risk management, further benefiting contract management and legal teams.”
Meanwhile, a senior executive at Google, Ugochi Agoreyo, stated that, at its core, the AI smart revolution signifies the widespread acceptance and integration of intelligent technologies that enhance human capabilities, empowering individuals to sense, learn, reason, and act more effectively.
She noted, “These systems encompass a spectrum from machine learning models identifying anomalies in banking transactions to natural language processors facilitating voice assistants, as well as predictive algorithms optimizing energy use in smart cities,” while adding that AI does not seek to supplant humanity, but rather offers a complementary facet: augmenting human creativity and judgment, automating monotonous tasks, and empowering decision-makers to act with heightened precision and foresight.
“This revolution,” Agoreyo continued, “impacts every sector: healthcare, agriculture, finance, education, governance, and notably construction, the sector that epitomizes Julius Berger’s legacy,” commending the proactive adaptation of AI by companies like Julius Berger in comprehensive contract planning and execution.
“Crucially, the influence of AI extends far beyond individual industries; it serves as a foundational technology underpinning a smarter, more interconnected world. In Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, fertile grounds for AI innovation abound, necessitating a balanced consideration of both opportunities and challenges. Nigeria’s swiftly expanding economy ranks among Africa’s largest, with a youthful populace projected to exceed 200 million in the near future, representing a vast reservoir of untapped talent and entrepreneurial zeal. Thus, across the continent, a surge in mobile phone penetration and internet connectivity has provided the ideal environment for digital innovation.”
