Cutting EDGE: From rapid urbanisation to advanced green homes

184 units in the Grand Luvu 3B affordable housing project in Abuja, Nigeria, by the Millard Fuller Foundation have achieved the globally recognised Advanced EDGE Certification – the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) green building standard.

In conversation with EDGE experts

• What does the housing project look like? 184 units out of the 248 total are standard one-bedroom and expandable one- and two-bedroom EDGE Advanced green homes.
• So how good is it? 184 units go beyond the EDGE green building standard obtaining the advanced certification; so pretty good in our book.
• What does that mean in practice? Each EDGE advanced house has achieved an average of 50% improvement in energy efficiency, 33% improvement in water efficiency, and 58% improvement in embodied energy in materials, compared with conventional local construction methods.
• Has it used any innovative solutions or technologies? Sure! It achieved enhanced green performance through water-efficient faucets, reflective exterior walls, and a reduced window-to-wall ratio.
• Is there anything else that makes the project notable? Grand Luvu 3B was not only opened by Nigeria’s Vice President, but the Millard Fuller Foundation is continuing to join forces with the government-mandated Family Homes Fund to put half a million families into homes by 2024. And accolades are familiar territory for our innovative partners, who have won the Nigeria Housing Awards’ Most Affordable Housing Project in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021, and the Builder of the Lowest-Priced House Built by a Private Developer in Africa in the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa (CAHF) Yearbook 2019.

Funmi Odia, Executive Director at the Millard Fuller Foundation, said:

“The EDGE certification for Grand Luvu 3B Phase 1 demonstrates that this project has met a global standard in use in many countries. It showcases MFF’s commitment to green and affordable housing, resulting in reduced energy bill payments, more efficient water usage and cooler, more comfortable homes.”

“Green building certification is important for Nigeria due to its huge population and rapid urbanisation. The level of construction that will address the housing deficit and upgrade the quality of the built environment requires guidelines in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with this enormous undertaking.”

Homes don’t have to be costly to people or planet. This is a great chance for low-income earners to get on the Nigerian housing ladder and the Grand Luvu 3B project shows that urbanisation can be sustainable and thoughtfully achieved.

Left: Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, opening the Grand Luvu 3B site. Right: Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, unveiling the site plaque.