Nigeria, Feb. 27 -- Cement maker Lafarge Africa reported a surge of 172.7 per cent in net profit on Thursday, which took its earnings to the highest on record, as volume growth lifted top line.

The company, whose products also comprise aggregate and concrete, said improvement in bottom line derived in part from factors ranging from higher plant stability and enhanced distribution efficiency to cost optimisation.

A buoyant construction climate in Nigeria, where a large-scale housing and infrastructure deficit continues to feed demand for building materials, including cement, provided the backdrop for a leap in revenue by more than half to N1.1 trillion.

Lafarge, now controlled by Huaxin Building Materials Group after Swiss-based Holcim ...