How women are breaking into Nigeria’s construction industry
Nigeria’s construction industry has long been dominated by men, but women are gradually breaking barriers and redefining their place in the sector. For years, cultural beliefs, limited training opportunities, and
Nigeria’s construction industry has long been dominated by men, but women are gradually breaking barriers and redefining their place in the sector. For years, cultural beliefs, limited training opportunities, and lack of structured support kept many women away from technical trades. Today, the BuildHer Female Tilers and Block-Laying Training Programme by Lafarge Africa Plc are changing that story by equipping women with practical skills, financial knowledge, and access to professional networks to succeed. CHINYERE OKOROAFOR reports.
For Sandra Okoro, a participant in the BuildHer Female Tilers and Block-Laying Training Programme by Lafarge Africa Plc, construction was once a distant world, visible but not accessible.
She had often watched workers on building sites from afar, believing that such physically demanding work was reserved for men.
With no access to technical training and few economic opportunities, her ambition of learning a trade that could offer financial independence remained only a dream.
That changed when she enrolled in the BuildHer programme.
Today, Sandra stands confidently on a training site in Lagos, carefully laying tiles with precision and focus. The work she once considered impossible is now part of her daily routine. Each session on the site strengthens not just her technical ability but also her self-belief.
“I never believed I could do this kind of work,” she said.
“But now I can proudly say I am a tiler. This programme has opened my eyes to what I can achieve.”
For Sandra, the transformation goes beyond skill acquisition. It represents a shift in identity and possibility.
She now sees a future where she can earn a stable income, support herself, and eventually take on independent projects.
What once felt like an unreachable path has become a tangible career direction.
Her experience mirrors that of many other women in the programme, including Ogedengbe Mary Damilola, who joined BuildHer with uncertainty but is leaving with clarity and determination.
Before the training, Mary struggled to find stable employment and had never considered construction as a viable career path.
Like many women, she believed the sector was not meant for her.
However, exposure to practical training changed her perspective. Today, she works confidently with tiling tools, learning step by step how to measure, cut, and fix tiles professionally.
Her confidence has grown with each completed task, and so has her ambition.
“I want to become a professional tiler and build something for myself,” she said.
“I also want to train other women so they can learn and stand on their own.”
Mary’s vision reflects one of the unintended but powerful outcomes of the programme, beneficiaries becoming future trainers and mentors, extending the impact beyond themselves.
Structured response to long-standing gap
The BuildHer initiative was launched in 2021 to address a clear gap in Nigeria’s skilled labour sector: women’s limited access to technical training and participation in construction-related trades.
While many women have the interest and capacity to work in the sector, they are often held back by lack of exposure, financial constraints, and social stereotypes.
The programme was therefore designed not only to train women in tiling and block-laying but to provide a complete pathway into the industry.
Participants undergo hands-on training using industry-standard materials, including Supafix and Supaset, while learning directly on practical construction tasks.
Beyond technical skills, the programme also integrates business and financial literacy training. This ensures that participants are not only employable but also capable of running their own small enterprises or working as independent contractors.
Over the years, BuildHer has expanded from Lagos to Ogun and Cross River States, reaching more women from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
The 2025 edition marked a significant milestone, training 100 women, the highest number since the programme began.
Beyond training
One of the most important features of the programme is its emphasis on integration into the professional ecosystem. Graduates are enrolled into the Block Makers and Tilers Association of Nigeria, giving them access to networks, job opportunities, and industry recognition.
Participants are also provided with starter toolkits upon completion of training. This practical support helps eliminate one of the biggest barriers faced by new entrants, the cost of equipment needed to begin work.
For many beneficiaries, this combination of training, certification, and tools creates a rare opportunity to transition directly into income-generating work.
Institutional support, growing partnerships
The success of the programme has also been strengthened by collaboration with government institutions. Agencies such as the Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and counterparts in Ogun and Cross River States have supported the initiative through partnerships and policy alignment.
These collaborations reflect a broader recognition that women’s participation in technical trades is not only a gender issue but also an economic one.
Expanding access to skills training is increasingly seen as a practical solution to unemployment and youth underemployment.
According to stakeholders, programmes like BuildHer contribute to both individual empowerment and broader economic development by creating a more inclusive workforce.
Leadership perspective
Speaking on the initiative, Viola Graham-Douglas, Director of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa, said BuildHer reflects the company’s long-term commitment to inclusion and sustainability.
She explained that empowering women goes beyond individual transformation, noting that it contributes to stronger families and more resilient communities.
Similarly, Gabriel Pollyn, Head of Sustainability and Sponsorships, emphasised that the programme is designed to build both skills and confidence. According to him, when women are empowered economically, the impact extends far beyond the individual.
Government and Training Perspectives
Government officials have also commended the initiative for its alignment with social inclusion and gender equality goals.
They noted that it is helping to open new career pathways for women in non-traditional sectors while contributing to economic participation.
Trainers involved in the programme believe its impact will be long-lasting. They argue that when women acquire technical skills and financial independence, they become more capable of supporting their families and inspiring others within their communities.
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One trainer described the initiative as a “cycle of empowerment,” where trained women are likely to train others, gradually expanding the pool of skilled female workers in the sector.
Challenges, the road ahead
Despite its successes, challenges remain. Many women still face societal resistance when entering male-dominated fields.
In some communities, construction work is still not widely seen as a suitable career path for women. There are also issues related to funding, awareness, and scaling such programmes to reach more beneficiaries across the country.
Experts believe that sustained investment from both the private and public sectors is necessary to deepen impact and ensure long-term sustainability.
A changing narrative
Even with these challenges, BuildHer is steadily reshaping perceptions. It is proving that with the right support, women can succeed in technical and physically demanding trades once considered out of reach.
For Sandra, Mary, and many others, the journey is not just about learning a skill; it is about reclaiming opportunity, dignity, and economic independence.
As they step into a once-closed industry with tools in hand and confidence in their abilities, they are not only building structures, they are building new futures for themselves and quietly redefining what women in construction can achieve in Nigeria.
