The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards reducing housing production costs by securing 200 hectares of land within the Lekki Free Trade Zone, Lagos, for a building materials hub.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, during a tour of industrial areas within the Lekki and Lagos Free Zones on Thursday.
The Lekki Free Trade Zone is a commercial hub integrated with the Lekki Deep Sea Port, providing access to intermodal transport infrastructure, including seaports, airports, rail, and roads.
According to Dangiwa, “The establishment of a building materials hub is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at cutting construction costs and providing affordable housing.”
The minister emphasised that the hub would promote local content, curb rising costs of materials, encourage domestic production, and ensure sustainable housing delivery nationwide.
He also revealed plans to establish similar hubs across the six geopolitical zones of the country, with the Lagos hub already sited within the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
He commended Lekki Worldwide Investments Ltd, the company managing the Lekki Free Trade Zone, for its remarkable achievements.
He thanked them for providing a strategic site for the proposed Federal Government Building Materials Manufacturing Hub.
The minister noted that the building materials hub is a key agenda of the current administration’s Housing and Urban Development Renewed Hope programme.
He stressed that the project would reduce Nigeria’s housing deficit by boosting local building materials production, create jobs through local manufacturing of essential construction inputs, and reduce foreign exchange spent on imports.
Dangiwa expressed pleasure that some houses within the zone had already been acquired by off-takers, indicating the project’s potential for success.
The Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Investments Ltd, Mr. Adeniyi Akinlusi, provided updates on projects within the zone.
He noted that the free zone was designed to stimulate growth, reduce imports, attract investment, create jobs, and boost housing.
He described the 16,500-hectare Lekki Free Trade Zone as a national asset, saying, “The whole zone is Nigeria’s best-kept investment secret.”
During the tour, Dangiwa inspected various housing projects, industries, building materials testing laboratories, the deep sea port, Alaro City, Lagos Coastal City, and other ongoing developments.
Hensard Times reports that industry heads within the zone also showcased power plants, manufacturing sites, and new projects, explaining their operations to the minister during the tour.
