The Policy Blueprint on Concrete Ideas Series hosted by Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading innovative and sustainable building solutions company, was unveiled in Lagos recently at a moderate event that attracted major stakeholders in the construction, infrastructure and housing industry.
The Blueprint, written by Ayo Teriba, leading Nigerian economist and CEO of Economic Associates, is a compendium and an analysis of insights and ideas discussed by these stakeholders during the first five editions of Concrete Ideas—Lafarge’s thought-leadership series.
The Concrete Ideas leadership series, according to officials of the company, was created to serve as a veritable platform for deliberation on issues, policies, and developments shaping Nigeria’s construction, infrastructure, and housing sectors.
The officials revealed that through Concrete Ideas, Lafarge has, over two years, assembled thought leaders from the public and private sectors to deliberate on policies to promote investment and best practices in the construction and allied sectors.
“We are taking a more direct approach to increase investment in infrastructure and housing by working with the government, professional associations, public policy experts and the broader private sector to find enabling policy solutions,” Khaled El Dokani, Country CEO, Lafarge Africa, said.
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He commended experts and industry leaders who had actively participated and led critical policy deliberations during the last five editions of Concrete Ideas, noting that, with their inputs, the company had been able to create the Policy Blueprint which, he hoped, governments at all levels and the industry would find very useful.
“We know that we owe a great deal to the people who have been part of these events since the beginning – the experts, public officials, professional associations and the broader private sector,” he said, assuring that “in line with our purpose of building progress for people and the planet, we are putting sustainability at the forefront of housing and infrastructure development.
This, he explained, was because they wanted to make sure that all Nigerians had access to this important information that would shape, set standards and accelerate positive change towards sustainable construction practices in the country.
El Dokani assured further that the company would continue to raise the bar of professional excellence in the built environment and the construction industry, adding, “Not only are we casting a vision for promoting sustainable construction practices within the Nigerian built environment and the construction industry, but also outlining the action steps to revitalize and grow the industry in an ethical, strategic, and future-focused way.”
