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UNVA Design and Construction Company Limited, Nsukka, Enugu (2026)

15/08/2026

I THOUGHT WE WERE BRINGING OUT THE SMALL COMPACTOR… I WAS WRONG AGAIN.

After the filling, backfilling, watering and settlement at the Nteje project, i thought i already knew what was coming next.

Compaction.

But i had another surprise waiting for me.

I expected the usual plate compactor i had seen on smaller construction projects.

No.

This time, my expectation was completely wrong.

My mentor brought in a hand operated roller compactor, together with a trained operator, to handle the massive foundation area.

And this wasn't some cheap equipment hire.

The roller was rented for hundreds of thousands of naira, including the operator, because the scale of the project demanded a more suitable compaction method.

That was another lesson for me:

Equipment selection should follow the scale and requirements of the project... not simply what you are used to seeing.

Compaction is the process of mechanically densifying soil or fill by reducing the air voids within it, improving its stability and ability to support the structure above.

At Nteje, i was beginning to understand that even the soil beneath a building deserves serious engineering attention.

Because before the building can rise...

the ground beneath it must be ready to carry the story.

More lessons from Nteje coming.

Follow UNVA and stay with me through the practical experiences that shaped my journey in Civil Engineering and Construction.

14/08/2026

MY MENTOR HAD A SIMPLE FILLING RULE… AND IT MADE PERFECT SENSE.

All the filling and backfilling at the Nteje project was completed.

The laterite was watered, allowed to settle, and the expected settlement began to occur.

But interestingly, you could hardly notice the reduction in level.

Why?

My mentor had a simple site rule:

“FILL A LITTLE ABOVE THE PLINTH BEAM.”

At first, it sounded like just another instruction.

But with time, i understood the reasoning behind it.

Settlement is the gradual reduction in the level or volume of filled soil as air voids are reduced and the material becomes denser, especially through watering and subsequent compaction.

So instead of filling exactly to the intended final level and later discovering that settlement had taken it below the required level, we allowed a little extra height.

After settlement and proper compaction, the level would naturally come down closer to the required formation level.

It was a simple practical approach, but it taught me something important:

Construction is not always about preventing every movement. Sometimes, it is about understanding the movement and planning for it.

That was another lesson from Nteje.

Follow UNVA as i continue sharing the practical lessons that shaped my journey in Civil Engineering and Construction.

14/08/2026

WE FILLED THE FOUNDATION… THEN WE LET WATER DO ITS JOB.

After all the machinery, truck movements and careful planning that went into the foundation filling at the Nteje project in Anambra State, i thought we were almost done.

But i learned another important part of the process.

The filling itself needed time.

After the foundation panels were filled, the laterite was thoroughly wetted... partly by nature through rainfall and partly by us through the site's borehole.

The purpose was to allow the laterite to settle properly before the next stage of compaction.

In construction, compaction is the process of mechanically densifying soil or filling material to reduce air voids and improve its stability and load-bearing capacity.

So, filling isn't simply:

Dump to spread to finish.

There is a process behind achieving a stable substructure.

At Nteje, i was learning that even something as ordinary as water can become part of a carefully managed construction operation.

And once again, the site reminded me:

Good construction is not just about doing the work quickly.
It's about allowing every stage to achieve what it was designed to achieve.

More lessons from Nteje coming.

Follow UNVA and stay with me as i continue sharing the real experiences that shaped my journey in Civil Engineering and Construction.

13/08/2026

Someone quoted ₦17.5 million. My preliminary estimate was about ₦22 million. So, who was right?

A few days ago, i was given the architectural drawings for a proposed standard 4 bedroom bungalow to estimate materials from foundation, concrete fascia (parapet) to entire roofing phase together with the workmanship labour cost.

Like every construction project, the first question was simple:

How much will it take?

But for me, answering that question wasn't about looking at the building and throwing a figure into the air.

I went into the drawings.

I studied the dimensions.
The foundation layout.
The walling.
The reinforcement requirements.
The roofing configuration.
The timber requirements.
The blocks.
Cement.
Sand.
Gravel.
Laterite.
And the other materials that would eventually turn those lines on paper into an actual building.

From that assessment, i prepared a preliminary material quantity estimate.

The figure for materials came to roughly ₦22 million while workmanship labour cost was ₦3.5million... which was a total of ₦25.5million for the agreed phases of work.

But i made something very clear:

This was an estimate. It was not a BOQ or final quotation.

It was simply a working figure to give the client an idea of what the material requirement could look like based on the drawings and the standard specifications i was considering.

Then came the interesting part.

I was told that someone else had already given the client a figure of about ₦17.5 million.

₦15 million for materials.

₦2.5 million for workmanship.

And honestly, that immediately made me pause.

Not because i believed the other person was wrong.

But because i know construction.

The same drawing can produce very different figures depending on what is actually being priced.

So the question shouldn't immediately be:

Why is yours more expensive?

The better question is:

What exactly is included in each figure?

What quantity of reinforcement is being allowed?

What sizes of reinforcement?

What specification and gauge of roofing sheets?

How much timber is being provided?

What sizes of timber?

How many blocks?

What cement quantity?

How much sand and granite?

How much laterite is required for filling and backfilling?

What about transportation?

What about wastage?

What about the small but important construction materials that are often forgotten during preliminary estimation?

And most importantly...

Are both figures based on the same standard and the same scope of work?

Because if they are not, then comparing ₦17.5 million to ₦25.5 million simply because they are both figures for the same building doesn't really tell us much.

And that's one lesson i continue to learn in this industry:

The cheapest quotation is not always the cheapest construction.

Sometimes, the difference isn't that someone is trying to charge more.

Sometimes, the difference is hidden inside the quantity, specification and quality of what has been allowed for.

This is why i have become increasingly interested in the part of construction that happens before construction actually begins.

The measurements.

The drawings.

The quantities.

The specifications.

The estimates.

The questions.

Because when these things are properly understood from the beginning, the client can make an informed decision instead of simply choosing the lowest figure on the table.

And that's the kind of relationship i want to build through UNVA DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED.

Not just giving you a price.

Not just telling you what you want to hear.

But sitting with the drawings, studying the project, understanding what it will take, and helping you make a construction decision you can defend.

Because at the end of the day, we are not competing to produce the cheapest number.

We are working towards producing the right building, with the right specification, for the right investment.

So if you have your architectural drawings already and you're wondering:

How much will this building actually require?

Don't guess.

Don't rely solely on a verbal estimate.

Let the drawings speak.

Send your drawings to UNVA DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED, and let's assess the project properly... from quantities and specifications to a realistic construction plan.

From concept, to quantities, to construction.

13/08/2026

SO, WHEN EXACTLY DO PEOPLE CALL AN ENGINEER “WICKED”?

From my experience in the construction industry, i began noticing a pattern.

Especially among artisans and some workers, an engineer... or any construction professional, can quickly become “wicked” when he does things like:

• Spots a mistake and asks for correction before it becomes more complicated or expensive.

• Insists on standards, specifications and regulatory compliance, even when the artisan doesn't understand why it matters.

• Sends a worker home for coming late or repeatedly failing to follow site instructions.

• Rejects poor workmanship instead of saying “manage it like that.”

At first, i wondered why simple professional responsibilities could make someone look wicked.

Then i understood something...

Discipline can look like wickedness when people are used to being given room for compromise.

A disciplined construction company or engineer understands that emotions cannot be allowed to interfere with decisions that affect quality, safety and structural integrity.

Because in construction, a small mistake ignored today can become a much bigger problem tomorrow.

Standards are not wickedness.
Accountability is not wickedness.
Correction is not wickedness.
Discipline is not wickedness.

Sometimes, the professional who looks “wicked” on site may simply be the person protecting the project from a problem nobody can see yet.

And honestly...

I'd rather be called strict for doing the right thing than be praised for allowing the wrong thing.

Have you ever worked with a professional you initially thought was too strict, only to later understand why?

Follow UNVA as i continue sharing the real lessons and experiences behind my journey in Civil Engineering and Construction.

12/08/2026

“THAT ENGINEER IS WICKED!” I HEARD THIS MORE THAN ONCE.

As my days continued at the Nteje project, i started observing something beyond concrete, reinforcement and blockwork.

I started observing people.

I noticed that whenever an engineer was very strict about instructions, measurements, workmanship or safety, some workers would quickly say...

“This engineer is wicked.”

And honestly, i began asking myself why.

Yes, there are professionals who are genuinely difficult.

But i also discovered that sometimes...

Discipline looks like wickedness to people who are used to compromise.

An engineer who says “do it well” because the work wasn't properly executed isn't necessarily wicked.

The engineer who refuses to approve poor workmanship isn't wicked.

The one who insists that the approved drawing, specifications and construction standards must be followed isn't wicked either.

I began to understand that professional discipline is sometimes uncomfortable.

In construction, specifications are the technical requirements that materials, workmanship and construction activities are expected to meet.

And when a professional takes those requirements seriously, someone will definitely feel uncomfortable.

But the structure doesn't care about who likes you.

Concrete doesn't negotiate.
Steel doesn't negotiate.
Loads don't negotiate.

Everything must eventually satisfy the principles of engineering.

That experience taught me something I'll never forget:

Being professional doesn't always mean being liked. Sometimes, it means being responsible enough to say NO when everyone else wants YES.

Maybe the question isn't always:

Why is this engineer wicked?

Maybe sometimes we should ask:

Is he actually wicked... or is he simply refusing to compromise?

What do you think?

Follow UNVA as i continue sharing the lessons, experiences and realities that shaped my journey in Civil Engineering and Construction.

12/08/2026

SOMETIMES, THE INSTRUCTIONS AREN’T THE PROBLEM. THE WAY THEY’RE GIVEN IS.

During the filling and backfilling at the Nteje project in Anambra State, i learned another important lesson about site management.

I noticed that some artisans would ignore instructions the first time.

But something interesting happened when you approached them calmly, explained what was required, and made them understand why it mattered. Many of them listened and corrected their work.

Others, unfortunately, only responded when the voice became louder... or when payment for poorly executed work was withheld until the work was corrected.

That experience taught me that construction supervision is not just about knowing what to do; it is also about knowing how to communicate it.

Backfilling is not simply dumping laterite into a foundation. It involves controlled placement, levelling and compaction to provide adequate support and minimise future settlement.

And every artisan working around that process has a role to play.

Good construction requires both technical precision and people management.

I’m still sharing the lessons the construction site at Nteje taught me.

Follow UNVA and let’s keep learning from the real experiences behind the structures we build.

11/08/2026

1millionaira for settlement of youth before construction commences...
Reality of most eastern region.

11/08/2026

ONE WRONG MOVE COULD HAVE BROUGHT THE FOUNDATION DOWN.

As filling and backfilling continued at the Nteje project in Anambra State, i discovered something i never took lightly again.

Those dump trucks were carrying tons of laterite.

And one wrong movement, one poorly planned dumping position, or driving too close to an unsupported foundation wall could introduce excessive surcharge load and potentially cause failure.

So, truck movement was not random.

The drive path was carefully planned, and before every new load was dumped, the engineer and artisans determined exactly where it should go.

Laterite was then spread, levelled and compacted progressively.

That taught me something important:

On a construction site, even where a truck parks can become an engineering decision.

Filling is not just putting soil inside a foundation. It is controlled placement of material without compromising the structural members already constructed.

I was learning that construction isn't only about what we build…

It's also about protecting what we've already built.

Another lesson from Nteje. Another step in my journey.

UNVA Design and Construction Company Limited

15/08/2026

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