Dangote cement advocates budget-friendly mass housing for Nigerians

Dangote Cement Plc has urged stakeholders in the housing industry to consider a budget-friendly mass housing scheme for Nigerians. It also announced the commissioning of a 3Mta grinding plant in Côte d’Ivoire this quarter, which is expected to strengthen the company’s position in Africa and contribute significantly to its exports.

Speaking at the ongoing Africa International Housing Show, the National Sales Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Dolapo Alli, said: “Addressing housing issues requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, private developers, non-profits and communities. The government can adopt public-private partnerships (PPPs) to support mass housing initiatives.

“Through PPP models, the government may initiate the construction of new estates, while companies and firms in the building and construction sector can be granted tax waivers and credits to facilitate the financing of new and affordable housing developments.”

Alli, who was speaking at the company’s Special Day, described mass housing as one of the strategies used to address the challenge of providing adequate housing for the public, adding that the approach had helped to tackle the pressures of rapid urbanisation in numerous countries around the world. He commended the efforts of the Federal Government in implementing mass housing programmes, adding that more gaps needed to be covered.

“Nigeria, through the Renewed Hope Housing Initiative, has taken commendable steps toward addressing the critical gap in access to affordable housing finance. This initiative signals a strong commitment to making homeownership more accessible for citizens, particularly low- and middle-income earners.

“However, given the scale of the nation’s housing deficit — estimated in the millions — much more needs to be done. There is a pressing need for broader collaboration across public and private sectors to unlock innovative financing solutions, streamline regulatory processes, and scale up delivery to meet the growing demand for decent and affordable housing,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the company, Arvind Pathak, in a note to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), said the company was encouraged by the growth in its export business.

He said: “Export volumes from Nigeria increased by 18.2 per cent, with 18 successful clinker shipments made to Ghana and Cameroon. This demonstrates the growing importance of our pan-African footprint and our ongoing commitment to regional trade and self-sufficiency.”

Pathak also revealed that the company’s strategic priorities remain focused on long-term value creation, noting that Dangote Cement made significant progress in further strengthening its cost architecture.

“During the period, we began the phased delivery of 1,600 additional CNG-powered trucks, which will significantly reduce our logistics costs and enhance environmental efficiency,” he added.