Lafarge Africa Plc’s mission statement, ‘Building Better Cities throughout the World by Providing Innovative Solutions’ has begun to materialise in Nigeria with a commitment to reduce the housing deficit (estimated at 17 million) through sustainable development and investment in low-cost and mass housing across the country.
Lafarge Africa has proposed mass housing development plans, including a N1.3-billion low-cost housing scheme for 3,500 low-income earners across the country, construction of mass affordable housing in Abuja and all-expenses housing units for 1,000 villagers in Ogun state.
In 2013, Lafarge Africa Plc entered into a tripartite agreement with the French Development Agency (AFD) and LAPO Microfinance Bank to finance the construction of low-cost housing tagged, ‘Ile Irorun’ for 3,500 low-income earners.
Hubert Dognin, AFD Country Director said, “Indeed, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and is experiencing one of the highest urban growth rates in the world.
Thus, the demand for housing surpasses by far the Nigerian real estate markets’ delivery capacity, which led to the current housing shortage.”
Guillaume Roux, Group MD and CEO, Lafarge Africa, said the initiative reflected “Lafarge’s commitment to urban change across the globe”, and to “Building Better Cities”.
