Grundfos, the Danish pump solutions company, has reaffirmed its commitment to driving sustainability and energy efficiency in Nigeria’s commercial building sector with the successful hosting of the Sustainable Commercial Buildings Conference.
Held in Lagos on Tuesday, the event brought together developers, engineers, architects, facility managers, and government stakeholders to discuss smart technologies that address Nigeria’s unique infrastructure and energy challenges.
Speaking with BusinessDay on the sidelines of the event, Michael Edwin, senior engineer at CBS West Africa, explained that the event was inspired by Grundfos’ transformation and its strategic focus on sustainable innovation.
“Grundfos started in 1945 as a pump company. This year makes us 80 years old, and we have evolved from just a pump company to a pump solutions company,” Edwin said.
“This conference is a way of communicating our technological advancements in making pumping systems more energy-efficient and sustainable, especially for the Nigerian market,” he added.
Edwin noted that rising energy tariffs in Nigeria have made operational efficiency more critical than ever for commercial building owners.
“Most pumps in the market are non-energy-efficient,” he explained, adding however that “with Grundfos, we are introducing IE5 motors with variable frequency drives, which can save up to 70 percent in energy consumption in buildings like hotels, hospitals, malls, and schools.”
He emphasised that cutting energy use is no longer a luxury but a necessity for investors and facility managers seeking to reduce operating costs in a highly volatile energy market.
Edwin said Grundfos places a high value on collaboration with Nigerian stakeholders across the building and construction ecosystem.
“We don’t just operate as an OEM. We collaborate with architects, consulting engineers, and developers,” he said. “We’re currently in talks with ACEN, the Association for Consulting Engineers in Nigeria, to develop a training curriculum for their members on pumping solutions,” he added.
He also highlighted ongoing engagements with the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) to train their MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineers.
“We drive our values through reputable associations and organisations, and we also empower local distributors by involving them in our market activities.”
Beyond the event, Edwin emphasised Grundfos’ focus on long-term engagement through job creation, technical training, and local content development.
The Danish firm also conducts regular training for distributors, engineers, and consultants, helping to raise the standard of technical competence in Nigeria’s built environment sector.
“We want to sustain this campaign around our new technology, Distributed Pumping Solutions, which significantly reduces energy use in HVAC system designs for commercial buildings; we see the urbanization wave in Nigeria, especially in Lagos, and we want to continue supporting it with smarter, more sustainable infrastructure solutions,” he said
Speaking at the event, Jette Bjerrum, the consul general, the Consulate General of Denmark in Lagos, represented by Victoria Epelle, a commercial advisor at consulate, highlighted how the conference aligns with Denmark’s Africa strategy focused on inclusive growth, green transition, and youth empowerment.
“From a chair to a skyscraper, everything in Denmark is designed to look good and work brilliantly. We believe in design thinking, water-smart infrastructure, and long-term sustainability. Grundfos embodies these values with intelligent systems that support everything from fire suppression to energy-efficient cooling,” she said.
Epelle added that Danish companies operating in Nigeria reflect a wider commitment to meaningful collaboration.
“We’re already getting requests from Danish architectural firms looking to set up in Lagos this year. We see potential, especially in vocational training and local partnerships,” she said.
She also praised Nigerian professionals in attendance for shaping the future of Nigeria’s cities, adding that collaboration is everything, and Denmark is ready to partner.
