Onome Amuge
Lafarge Africa Plc, one of the country’s largest cement and building solutions companies, is betting that gender inclusion could unlock fresh opportunities for both households and the economy.
The company recently unveiled the 2025 edition of its women-focused empowerment initiative, BuildHer, an eight-week training programme designed to equip women in low-income communities with technical and entrepreneurial skills in trades such as tiling and block laying. But beyond the immediate skill acquisition, Lafarge is positioning BuildHer as a lever for expanding Nigeria’s skilled workforce and strengthening the small business ecosystem that supports construction.
Unlike typical corporate social responsibility initiatives, BuildHer has clear structural linkages to the broader construction value chain. Participants are trained using Lafarge’s Supafix and SupaSet products, gain certification from accredited institutions, and are integrated into formal trade associations like the Block Makers and Tilers Association of Nigeria. This makes them visible to contractors, developers, and community projects seeking reliable skilled labour.
Since its inception in 2022, more than 60 women have graduated from BuildHer, many of whom have gone on to establish micro-enterprises in block making, tiling, and related services. The 2025 edition, Lafarge’s largest yet, will train 100 women across Lagos, Ogun, and Cross River States. To reinforce sustainability, graduates receive starter kits, while the top ten performers will secure additional business support.
“By expanding women’s access to technical trades, we are not just tackling unemployment but also diversifying the supply of skills in construction, a sector that underpins housing and infrastructure delivery,” Lafarge said in a statement.
The programme also carries socioeconomic ripple effects. Many of the participants are women aged 20 to 45 from households where men are often the sole income earners. With practical skills and business literacy training, these women are empowered to support their families, expand household purchasing power, and inject income into their local economies.
To further deepen its reach, Lafarge stated that it is launching a BuildHer Alumni Network and a Train the Trainers scheme, ensuring that knowledge transfer extends beyond the immediate cohort.
Industry analysts see BuildHer as a template for how large corporates can move beyond donations into initiatives that reshape labour markets. Nigeria’s construction sector, valued at over N12 trillion annually, continues to face shortages of skilled artisans, even as the demand for affordable housing and infrastructure expands. Training more women not only plugs this gap but also disrupts entrenched gender stereotypes about who can work in building trades.
Partnerships with state governments further strengthen the programme’s institutional base. Agencies in Lagos, Ogun, and Cross River are supporting with mobilisation, facilities, and social services. Recognising the unique challenges of women in low-income communities, Lafarge has introduced transport allowances, feeding, and crèche support for nursing mothers, ensuring that participation is not hindered by family responsibilities.
The significance of BuildHer lies in its potential to reshape narratives. In a country where women disproportionately face barriers to finance, employment, and recognition in the formal economy, the programme’s integration into trade associations offers not just skills but legitimacy. For employers, it opens up access to a pool of certified female artisans who meet industry standards. For communities, it means greater availability of services at competitive costs.
The initiative also fits into global conversations about inclusive growth. By creating pipelines for women to enter technical sectors, Nigeria can begin to close the gender gap in labour force participation, which the World Bank estimates costs sub-Saharan Africa billions of dollars annually in lost productivity.
