Infrastructure, investment and public-private collaboration took centre stage at the 2026 Julius Berger Luminary Soirée as Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Lagos State Government articulated a shared vision for unlocking value in Africa’s second-largest city economy, and positioning Lagos on the path to becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2052.
Hosted at the Alliance Française de Lagos, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, the annual gathering brought together leading developers, architects, consultants, financiers, investors, policymakers and business leaders for discussions on the theme, The Lagos Proposition: Unlocking value in a city in transformation.
In his opening address, the Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr. Dr Peer Lubasch, described the Luminary Soirée as a platform that facilitates meaningful dialogue amongst individuals and organisations shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy and built environment.
According to him, the theme encapsulated the opportunities and responsibilities that came with Lagos’ rapid growth.
‘We chose the word proposition deliberately because transforming potential into tangible value requires intention, strategy and execution. Potential alone does not build a city; execution does,’ Lubasch said.
He noted that Lagos remains one of Africa’s most important urban economies, with a growing population, growing housing demand, and significant infrastructure requirements, presenting both challenges and opportunities.
The Julius Berger chief executive observed that the city’s development was no longer confined to traditional commercial centres but was increasingly extending along the Lekki-Epe corridor, the Lagos-Ibadan axis, and emerging growth locations across the state.
‘The question is no longer whether Lagos will grow, but where growth is concentrated, how it can be sustained, and whether what is being built today will stand the test of time,’ he said.
Delivering the keynote address, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, described Julius Berger as an integral part of Nigeria’s development story and natural partner in Lagos’ transformation agenda.
She told participants that transformation occurs at the intersection of vision, leadership, infrastructure, investment and execution.
‘Julius Berger brings decades of engineering excellence and the capacity to turn bold ideas into tangible infrastructure, while Lagos State brings scale, ambition, enterprise, talent, and an extraordinary pipeline of opportunity,’ she said.
According to the commissioner, the true Lagos proposition was contained in what became possible when the right capital, infrastructure and leadership converged at Africa’s most dynamic commercial centre.