Hafiz Oyediran is using innovation and groundbreaking technology to transform the African construction industry. With safety issues, inflated project costs and labor shortages impacting construction projects in Africa, Oyediran, a Ph.D. student in construction engineering and management, cofounded the BIM Africa Initiative.
Located in Abuja, Nigeria, BIM stands for Building Information Modeling, a process of modeling and managing physical and functional characteristics of buildings through digital representations.
Data structures in construction management are relatively new but many countries have adopted BIM standards, for safety and budget reasons, including North American and European countries. Third world countries have been slower to embrace BIM technology; however, Oyediran is helping educate the African construction community through the BIM Africa Initiative and its meetings, seminars and webinars, and other collaborative methods. He's also using his research to help improve construction efficiency and safety by integrating BIM robotics technologies that enable autonomous robots to undertake intricate and hazardous tasks during the construction process.
“We are paving the way for a safer and more efficient construction environment,” Oyediran told the Nigerian Tribune. “From low productivity and ergonomic hazards to labor shortages, the traditional methods have often led to inefficiencies, delays, and safety concerns, impacting project timelines and costs.”