West Africa is a vast region that is attracting foreign investment and infrastructure development at a pace not seen before. The cement industry is part of this fast-growing drive and with new grinding plants being established, clinker and cement exports could become a valuable source of future revenue.
More than 1.4bn Africans are forecast to live in urban areas by 2050, if urbanisation rates continue to accelerate as seen in the past five years. Urbanisation at present is around 46 per cent in western Africa (compared with 41 per cent in Africa as a whole) and is increasing at a steady pace. As more people leave their rural livelihoods for the city, the region’s infrastructural needs are expected to mount. In addition, high population growth of around 3.3 per cent in 2017 (world: 1.6 per cent) and 44 per cent of the population under 15 (world: 26 per cent) are driving long-term housing demand.
