The Imperativeness of Laterite in Building and Road Construction Sectors for Sustainable Infrastructure in Nigeria: A Review of Laterite for Socio-economic Development

The challenges of housing accommodation and road construction due to insecurity and searching for socio-economic activities had over populated urban cities in Nigeria. In this study, a review on the importance of laterite as a significant engineering component used in building, road and dam constructions were reviewed. Laterite is formed due to weathering from the parent rock material, rich in iron and aluminium oxides. Quality laterites are obtained based on the geographical location and topography with rainfall above 90 cm. Better laterite is found in the central and southern regions of Nigeria, with 100-300 cm of rain. Therefore, Plateau State in the North central region is endowed with natural resources such as laterite, which could be utilised in housing and road construction for low-income earners to own a house and ease access between the rural-urban communities to cushion the effect of the high cost of building materials