This work presents a low-cost and eco-friendly building material named Agrostone panel. Africa’s urban population is growing at an annual rate of 2.8% and 62% of its population will live in urban areas by 2050. As a consequence, many of the least urbanized and least developed African countries will face serious challenges in providing affordable housing to urban dwellers. Since the cost of building materials accounts for the largest proportion of the overall construction cost, innovating low-cost building materials is vital. Agrostone panel is used in housing projects in Ethiopia. It uses raw materials of agricultural/industrial wastes and/or natural minerals as a filler, magnesium-based chemicals as a binder, and fiberglass as reinforcement. Agrostone panel reduces the cost of wall construction by 50% compared with conventional building materials. The pros and cons of the Agrostone panel as well as the use of other waste materials as a raw material to make the panel more sustainable, low-cost, and with better properties are discussed.

Africa has absorbed relatively high rates of urban growth over the past five decades. Africa’s urban population grew from 33 million in 1950 to 373 million in 2007. It means that, in 1950, only 14.7% but by 2007, 38.7% of the African population was living in urban areas. According to the latest UN projections, the urban population is expected to grow from 373 million in 2007 to 1,234 million in 2050, at an annual growth rate of 2.8%. These projections show that African society will become predominantly urban and by 2050, 62% of the region’s population will live in urban areas. Therefore, many African countries will face serious challenges in providing affordable housing as rapid population growth is becoming largely an urban phenomenon concentrated in the developing world.