The Ethiopian Construction Management Institute has hired a consultant to erect an "excellence centre" its officials hope will serve as a hub for the development of the construction industry and a formal project management system.

The Institute contracted BD Designs Private Ltd, a Bangladeshi firm, through direct selection. The consultant is on retainer for two years to prepare the design for the centre at a cost of 22 million Br.

Direct selection was preferred to minimise the project's timespan, according to Dawit Mehari, deputy director-general of the Institute.

"We'll negotiate cost with the company as we go and the design will be finalised in three months," he said.

The centre will comprise a referral laboratory, training, incubation and research facilities. It is to be built on 14.2hct of land between Sendafa and Lege Tafo, towns in the outskirts of Addis Abeba. Dawit and his team expect the entire project to cost up to 800 million Br.

The Ministry of Finance has approved 300 million Br for the first phase of construction this year. Officials expect to see the project completed in three years.

The Institution plans to offer international certifications that would enable contractors to expand their reach to other countries. Its officials have tabled a directive to regulate the issuance of certificates to the Ministry of Urban Development & Infrastructure.

The project comes as the construction industry suffers from a range of ills, including skyrocketing prices for inputs. Retail prices for a quintal of cement hover near 2,000 Br.

“There is a scarcity of skilled manpower and professionalism. Many mega projects are nabbed by foreign contractors,” said Abdu Jemal, head of construction industry development at the Ministry.

There are over 20,000 registered contractors, according to data from the Ethiopian Construction Authority.

Accessing good-quality construction materials has become a serious hamper as there are no official standards nor adequate facilities to assess quality. In most cases, testing facilities utilise simple equipment.

The Ethiopian Conformity Assessment Enterprise is among a handful of entities tasked with inspecting and certifying construction materials. It provides internationally-recognised testing, inspection and certification services for exporters, producers, service providers, regulatory bodies, and importers.

Reinforcement bars (rebar), cement, ceramics, and electrical materials are among the construction inputs the Enterprise assesses.

"Any certified third party can provide inspection services," said Tekea Melese, communications director at the Enterprise.