UPDC Plc records highest profit growth among Nigeria’s listed construction and real estate companies in 2024

Key Takeaways:

  • The sector’s total PAT rose by 28% from ₦31.68 billion in 2023 to ₦40.49 billion in 2024.
  • Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund remained the top earner with ₦19.59 billion, despite a modest 4% year-on-year decline.
  • Julius Berger and UPDC REIT also posted strong profits, contributing significantly to the overall performance.
  • UPDC Plc recorded the strongest profit growth, surging by nearly 278% from ₦221.5 million in 2023 to ₦836.9 million in 2024.
  • Ronchess Global Resources Plc significantly narrowed its losses by over 64%, though it remained in negative territory.

In 2024, Nigeria’s construction and real estate sector had a broadly positive performance, marked by rising profitability across most listed companies. Chapel Hill Denham led the pack with ₦19.6 billion in profit, accounting for nearly half of the sector’s total, despite a slight dip from the previous year. Julius Berger saw a 24% rise in profit after tax (PAT), while UPDC REIT also reported a consistent growth of 24%.

UPDC Plc emerged as the standout performer, recording the highest year-on-year profit growth at 278%, signalling a strong turnaround. Other REITs, including UH REIT and SFS REIT, also posted improved earnings. Meanwhile, Ronchess Global Resources made progress by significantly reducing its losses, although it remained unprofitable.

Source:

NGX, Company’s Financial Report

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

Inflation tops list of business concerns in Nigeria for 2025, far ahead of other economic challenges
  • Nearly half (48.9%) of Nigerian businesses identify inflation as their greatest economic challenge in 2025.
  • The foreign exchange rate (17.1%) is the second most pressing concern, reflecting ongoing naira volatility.
  • Insecurity (15.6%) and government policies (10.0%) remain significant worries for business operations.
  • Inadequate infrastructure (8.4%), while the least mentioned, continues to constrain growth.

Only one in four Nigerian MSMEs access government support, with grants leading the way
  • Just 25.1% of MSMEs report receiving any form of government support, while 74.9% remain untouched by initiatives.
  • Among those who benefitted, 41.1% accessed grants, making it the most common form of support.
  • 22.1% of MSMEs participated in government training programmes, showing recognition of capacity-building needs.
  • Only 16% received loans and 13.8% got tax breaks, underscoring limited financial and fiscal support penetration.
  • A mere 6.9% of businesses report accessing subsidies, reflecting minimal impact of such schemes.

MSMEs in Nigeria's South West generate ₦8.3 million monthly on average, outpacing all other regions by a wide margin
  • The South West (₦8.3m) far surpasses all regions in monthly revenue, reflecting Lagos’ dominance as Nigeria’s commercial hub.
  • The South South (₦831k) and South East (₦605k) trail far behind but still outperform the northern regions.
  • The North East (₦562k) and North West (₦479k) show significantly lower average revenues.
  • The North Central (₦241k) records the weakest average, underlining stark regional disparities.

Most Nigerian MSME entrepreneurs are between 26 and 45 years old
  • Only 12.1% of entrepreneurs are aged 18–25, showing limited entry among very young adults.
  • The largest groups are 26–35 (33.3%) and 36–45 (33.8%), together accounting for two-thirds of entrepreneurs.
  • Mid-life representation: 14.6% are aged 46–55.
  • Just 6.2% are 56 and above, indicating fewer older adults start or run MSMEs.

Nearly half of Nigerian MSMEs operate below ₦100,000 in monthly revenue
  • 48.8% of MSMEs earn less than ₦100,000 monthly.
  • 19.5% report revenues between ₦100,000 and ₦199,900.
  • The share of businesses decreases steadily in the ₦200,000–₦999,900 bands, ranging from 9.3% to 6%.
  • Only 8.8% of MSMEs earn above ₦1 million monthly, with just 0.4% exceeding ₦100 million.

Trade and agriculture led Nigeria’s ₦51.20 trillion economy in Q2 2025, as oil’s share remained modest
  • Trade contributed 18.28%, making it the largest sector in Q2 2025's GDP.
  • Crop production followed with 17.8%, underscoring agriculture’s central role.
  • Oil and gas added just 4.05%, highlighting its shrinking share compared to non-oil sectors.
  • Real estate and telecoms reinforced the growing strength of services in the Nigerian economy.

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved