Irish engineering firm wins €10m contract in Zambia

Ellie Donnelly

Irish engineering consultancy firm Nicholas O'Dwyer has signed a €10m contract to carry out work on the $1.2bn Lusaka to Ndola road in Zambia.

The company, which was founded in 1932, will carry out the design review, technical and financial supervision of the project.

As a result of the contract win 30 jobs will be created at the firm.

In a statement today, Richard Crowe, managing director at Nicholas O'Dwyer, said that the project will upgrade a vital link for the Zambian economy, connecting the capital, Lusaka, to the country's copper belt in the North.

Copper mining is the major economic contributor in Zambia, and the country is one of the largest producers of copper in the world.

"Nicholas O’Dwyer has worked extensively on large infrastructure projects across the developing world for decades, and this is a major step forward for the company in its international operations and growth strategy," Mr Crowe said.

Mr Crowe went on to thank both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Enterprise Ireland for their support and assistance.

The project, which is expected to take about four years to construct, will see the construction of 350km of dual carriageway, and some significant ancillary infrastructure.

Congratulating the company on its win, Ciaran Cannon, Minister of State for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that international agreements such as this propel Irish companies onto a global stage.

"Nicholas O’Dwyer is an excellent example of a company utilising Irish talent and innovation to provide effective solutions to aid developing world economies. I wish the company every success as they undertake this project."