Julius Berger Lauds Media, Commits To Quality Project Delivery

Julius Berger Nigeria (JBN) Plc has commended media practitioners for their sustained collaboration with the company, especially in building trust and confidence in its activities in Nigeria.

The commendation came from Dr Abdulaziz Kaita, Director of Administration, at the 2025 JBN Annual Media Parley in Abuja.

Kaita said JBN maintains a strong relationship with the media, working together to shape public trust, inspire young engineers and journalists and build confidence in Nigeria, adding that the partnership between the company and the press had “significantly contributed to shared progress for both Nigeria and the organisation.”

He said, “We are good friends of the media, and we work together through the stories that continue to shape public trust.

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc started operations in 1965. Our first project was the Eko Bridge in Lagos in August 1965. For exactly 60 years, JBN has been working in Nigeria.

“We have worked in almost 90 per cent of the states in the country — from Maiduguri to Bayelsa, Calabar, Kaduna and Sokoto, practically every state.

“Over the last six decades, we have been involved in major national projects, including the Third Mainland Bridge, the Second Niger Bridge, the East-West Road, the Bodo-Bonny Road project, the State House in Abuja, and many other iconic projects,” he said.

Kaita noted that JBN, in partnership with Ahmadu Bello University, conducted research on its cold recycling technology innovation, which was introduced on the Abuja-Kano Expressway project and subsequently earned the company an international award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Also at the event, the managing director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali M. Ali, called for a deeper and sustained relationship built on trust and value creation for both public relations practitioners and the media.

Speaking on the topic “Public Relations and the Media: The Missing Link, Ali said the fast-evolving communications landscape required strategy, strong storytelling skills and a clear understanding of audience psychology.

“One grave mistake most PR practitioners make is failing to build media relations. They think it is only necessary at crunch time, but you must develop and sustain relationships. It becomes much easier to present your side of the story, especially when crises arise.

“I recall several instances where Julius Berger faced crises, and I often noticed how they worked to roll back the story.

“When you have excellent media relations, the media will even reach out to guide you, depending on the nature of the story, of course. Others, however, wait in the wings for mishaps to happen. The media is neither friendly nor hostile to PR; it works with information, and the information that reaches it first,” he said.

Ali insisted that the relationship between journalists and PR practitioners is inherently symbiotic.

“The media-PR relationship is a two-way street. By building trust, providing value and telling compelling stories, both sides can bridge the gap and achieve success.

“The media is simply a platform- not hostile, not friendly. It is up to the PR professional to leverage it, once they understand what the media is about, to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship.”