Affordable Building Concepts International to build houses in Nigeria

Galway modular housing company Affordable Building Concepts International is making further headway in Nigeria, where it has signed another memorandum of understanding with a regional government.

ABCI is being lined up to build 10,000 housing units in Anambra state. Tony Duncan, the company's man on the ground in the African country, signed the MoU in recent weeks at a ceremony with Chief Willie Obiano, state governor.

The deal comes on the heels of another set of discussions ABCI has entered into with the local government in nearby Cross River State, where it is being lined up to build 5,000 modular homes for social housing.

Some of the Cross River homes are planned for a site near the state capital of Calabar. Rather intriguingly, some local officials are dubbing the new development Calas Vegas.

ABCI's modular homes can be erected in less than a week. Desmond Cullinane, the company's chairman, previously told me he was hopeful of making a "major investment" in Nigeria, although he was shy on detail as the talks were ongoing. Local reports have suggested ABCI may set up a factory there.

Modular homes are currently being deployed in Dublin as an emergency solution for people who are homeless. In Anambra, however, the governor reckons they will be particularly suitable for civil servants.

Obiano, a former banker, was elected last year and has vowed to tackle the state's social problems. You can follow his progress on his rather brilliantly-named blog: Willie is Working.