NFL Star Calvin Anderson, Wife Launch Bold Lagos Housing Venture with Legacy Vision
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American Football Star and Wife Kick Off Human-Centered Housing Project in Lagos
In a bold move bridging sports, passion, and social impact, Calvin Anderson, offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his wife, Sheree Lanihun-Anderson, have unveiled a major housing development initiative in Lagos, Nigeria marking the beginning of their long-term investment in the country’s real estate space.
The couple, through their new company JB5 Investments Nigeria, announced that their goal is not short-term profit, but to offer safe, clean, and dignified housing options for Nigeria’s growing urban middle class.
With Nigeria’s urban population expected to surpass 65% by 2050, the couple sees both an urgent need and an opportunity to fill the housing gap with quality, purpose-driven development.
“Nigeria is the next frontier,” said Calvin Anderson. “We’re not just investing money we’re investing in the future of cities and communities.”
Sheree, a Cambridge-trained real estate lawyer and former global property fund executive, emphasized that JB5 is taking a different path from developers who prioritize speed and profit over quality and safety.
The couple’s first Lagos development, already in motion, blends Western construction standards with local environmental and cultural needs. Planned features include:
Built-in water filtration systems
Non-slip stair tiles
Top-grade aluminium fixtures
These additions aim to improve safety, health, and long-term livability areas often overlooked in standard housing projects.
Backed by Generations of Experience
At the local level, operations are being led by Tunji Lanihun, Sheree’s father, a veteran in Nigeria’s real estate and transport industries. A founding member of the Lanihun Brothers of Ibadan, he brings decades of experience to the team.
“My daughter and son-in-law are building with values at the core. I’m proud to help shape this vision here at home,” Lanihun said.
Scaling Beyond Lagos: Building Infrastructure with Impact
JB5’s vision goes beyond one estate or one city. The company plans to expand into other Nigerian states, guided by its mission to deliver what it calls “infrastructure with impact” housing that prioritizes dignity, safety, and long-term livability over flashy finishes or fast returns.
“We’re not just selling houses,” said Sheree. “We’re building places people are proud to live in. That’s our measure of success.”
As Nigeria’s housing crisis deepens and its cities grow rapidly, the Andersons are betting on purpose-led real estate as a powerful tool to shape the nation’s future one home at a time.
