Company: Lafarge Africa
Country: Nigeria
Sector: Construction Materials
CEO: Lolu Alade-Akinyemi (Group Managing Director/CEO)
Website: https://www.lafarge.com.ng
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lafargeafrica
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Lagos, Nigeria
Founded: 1959 (as West African Portland Cement Company/WAPCO)
Valuation/Revenue: $463.1m revenue / $774.6m market value (African Business Top 250, 2025); FY2025 revenue of roughly N1.1 trillion and market cap of about N5.64 trillion as of May 2026 (Lafarge Africa results; dmarketforces)
Lafarge Africa Plc is Nigeria’s largest cement producer, manufacturing and distributing cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates through brands including Elephant Cement, UniCem, Ashaka Cement and Atlas Cement. It trades on the Nigerian Exchange under the ticker WAPCO and is majority controlled by the Swiss building-materials group Holcim.
What Does Lafarge Africa Do?
Lafarge Africa produces cement, ready-mix concrete, and building aggregates for Nigeria’s construction industry, operating multiple manufacturing plants including its original Ewekoro and Shagamu facilities in the southwest and Ashaka Cement in the northeast. The company was formed in 2015 when Lafarge merged its Nigerian WAPCO assets with its South African operations, and further consolidated Atlas Cement and UNICEM into the group in 2017. It exited its South African cement business in 2019, refocusing entirely on the Nigerian market.
How Old Is Lafarge Africa?
The company’s roots trace back to 1959, when West African Portland Cement Company (WAPCO) was established as a joint venture between Blue Circle, the United Africa Company of Nigeria and Nigeria’s Western Region government. Production began at Ewekoro in 1961, and the company became Nigeria’s largest cement producer by 2004, well before its 2015 restructuring into the present-day Lafarge Africa Plc.
Who Is the CEO of Lafarge Africa?
Lolu Alade-Akinyemi serves as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lafarge Africa Plc, leading the company through a period of record profitability driven by strong cement demand and pricing discipline in the Nigerian market.
Who Owns Lafarge Africa?
Lafarge Africa is majority controlled by the Holcim Group, the Swiss-based building materials multinational formed by the 2014-2015 merger of Lafarge and Holcim, following the consolidation of the company’s African assets under the merged group. The remaining shares trade freely on the Nigerian Exchange.
How Big Is Lafarge Africa?
African Business’s Top 250 (2025) recorded Lafarge Africa’s revenue at approximately $463.1 million and market value at roughly $774.6 million, though these Naira-denominated figures are highly sensitive to exchange-rate movements. More recent Nigerian reporting shows dramatically higher Naira-denominated figures reflecting both currency depreciation and strong operating performance: Lafarge Africa posted 63% revenue growth to N780.48 billion by Q3 2025, then went on to report full-year 2025 revenue of roughly N1.1 trillion with profit before tax up 170% to about N411 billion, and its market capitalisation hit an all-time high of around N5.64 trillion in May 2026 following a 19% post-earnings share price surge and a 101% jump in Q1 2026 profit after tax.
Is Lafarge Africa Publicly Traded?
Yes. Lafarge Africa trades on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) under the ticker WAPCO and is one of the largest industrial stocks on the exchange by market capitalisation.
How Does Lafarge Africa Compare to Its Competitors?
Lafarge Africa’s principal rival is Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s (and Africa’s) largest cement producer by volume and market capitalisation, alongside BUA Cement. While Dangote and BUA have larger overall production capacity, Lafarge Africa has distinguished itself with a zero-debt balance sheet and strong margin performance, positioning it as a highly profitable, cash-generative operator even without the largest market share.
What Has Lafarge Africa Been in the News For Recently?
Lafarge Africa has repeatedly made headlines through 2025 and into 2026 for record-breaking financial results: a 63% revenue jump in Q3 2025, a full-year 2025 revenue milestone of roughly N1.1 trillion, a roughly 400% dividend increase, and an all-time-high market capitalisation of N5.64 trillion by May 2026. Coverage has framed the company’s zero-debt, high-margin profile as a standout in a Nigerian industrial sector otherwise squeezed by naira volatility and high input costs.
How Do I Apply for a Job at Lafarge Africa?
Lafarge Africa recruits through its corporate website and the broader Holcim Group careers channels, posting openings across manufacturing, engineering, sales and corporate functions at its Lagos head office and plant locations.
What Is Lafarge Africa’s Production Footprint?
Lafarge Africa operates multiple cement plants across Nigeria, including its original Ewekoro and Shagamu facilities in the southwest, Ashaka Cement in the northeast, and additional capacity added through the 2011 Lakatabu plant and the later integration of UNICEM and Atlas Cement assets. This geographically spread manufacturing base allows the company to serve Nigeria’s major regional markets with reduced logistics costs, an important competitive factor in a country where transport infrastructure can add significantly to the delivered cost of cement. The zero-debt balance sheet the company has maintained through 2025 also gives it flexibility to fund further capacity expansion or shareholder returns without relying on external financing, an increasingly valuable position given Nigeria’s historically high domestic borrowing costs.
Links
Website: https://www.lafarge.com.ng
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lafargeafrica
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Lafarge Africa the same as Dangote Cement?
No, they are separate, competing companies; Lafarge Africa trades as WAPCO on the NGX while Dangote Cement is a larger, separately listed rival.
Who owns Lafarge Africa?
It is majority owned by the Holcim Group, the Swiss multinational building materials company.
Who is the CEO of Lafarge Africa?
Lolu Alade-Akinyemi is the Group Managing Director/CEO.
How big is Lafarge Africa?
FY2025 revenue was roughly N1.1 trillion, with a market capitalisation that reached about N5.64 trillion by May 2026.
Is Lafarge Africa publicly traded?
Yes, on the Nigerian Exchange under the ticker WAPCO.
Is Lafarge Africa still operating in 2026?
Yes, and it has been reporting record revenue and profit through 2025 and into 2026.