Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, announced the initiative on Thursday during an inspection tour of the expansive industrial corridor that hosts the Lekki and Lagos Free Zones, as well as the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
According to him, the Lagos hub—sited on 200 hectares of land—will serve as the pilot project under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for affordable housing. The facility is designed to lower construction costs, strengthen local content, encourage domestic production, and ultimately ease Nigeria’s housing deficit.
“The building materials hub will promote local content, curb rising costs of materials, encourage domestic production, and ensure sustainable housing delivery nationwide,” Dangiwa explained.
He disclosed that similar hubs are planned for each of the six geopolitical zones, positioning the Lagos centre as the first of many to come.
The minister’s delegation visited several ongoing developments in the free zone, including housing projects, industries, testing laboratories, Alaro City, Lagos Coastal City, and the port. At Alaro City, he commended the adoption of sustainable construction practices, which he said were in line with government’s long-term housing vision.
Dangiwa further revealed that an investor has already been secured for the hub, a move expected to generate jobs, boost local materials production, and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported construction inputs that strain foreign exchange reserves. He emphasised that the hub’s success would be reinforced by the zone’s integrated transport infrastructure—covering road, rail, seaport, and airport links.
“We are pleased that some houses here have already been acquired by off-takers,” he noted.
The Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Investments Ltd, Adeniyi Akinlusi, who accompanied the minister, described the free zone as “Nigeria’s best-kept investment secret.” He highlighted the 16,500-hectare project’s potential to attract capital, stimulate industries, create employment, and drive real estate growth.
Industry stakeholders within the zone also used the visit to showcase power plants, manufacturing facilities, and other projects that underline the zone’s expanding role in Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.