Architects and other built environment professionals have called for the mass production and wider commercial distribution of locally sourced building materials to reduce import dependence, strengthen local manufacturing and expand market opportunities for domestic producers.

They made the call at the Architects Forum 2026, organised by the Association of Consulting Architects Nigeria (ACAN) in partnership with Design Week Lagos. The forum was themed, “From Material to Market: The Evolving Role of the Future Designer.”

Setting the tone, ACAN President, Ekaete Bassey-Fujah, said the industry must move beyond developing materials for individual projects to producing commercially viable products that could be manufactured at scale and distributed to a wider market.

Citing locally produced bricks as an example, she identified unreliable electricity supply and limited access to funding as major constraints to manufacturing. She urged architects to explore ways of overcoming these challenges, drawing lessons from countries such as China.

Delivering the keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of Design Union, Anthony Aihie, said architects should go beyond selecting existing materials to developing innovative products that address local construction needs.

He cited modified concrete blocks, polystyrene-concrete blocks and reusable formwork used in projects in Lagos, noting that effective design did not necessarily depend on expensive or sophisticated materials but on how available resources were applied.

Aihie identified poor documentation, inadequate promotion of local innovations, an import-oriented mindset and resistance to technology as some of the challenges confronting African designers. He called for stronger collaboration, research, marketing and technology adoption to improve the industry’s competitiveness.

Speaking during the panel session, he urged professionals to view construction challenges as market opportunities requiring research and practical solutions. He recalled that his firm ventured into construction in 2000 after encountering poor finishing standards among local builders working on Oando filling stations.

Aihie also disclosed that his firm developed a digital platform to help young prospective homeowners navigate housing affordability challenges, particularly mortgage interest rates of between 25 and 30 per cent. He said the platform allows users to make periodic contributions through a cooperative model.

On artificial intelligence (AI), he said the technology could expand architects’ capabilities but would not replace their creativity. He urged designers to train AI systems using African data to ensure that their outputs reflected local contexts, needs and architectural traditions.

He also encouraged young designers to promote African identity through architecture, interior design and other creative industries, including food.

A Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Oluremi Ajose-Adeogun, identified cash flow as critical to the survival and growth of architecture firms.

He cited the design-build model, which combines design and construction services, as one approach his group uses to sustain its operations, while acknowledging that the model might not be suitable for every practice.

Ajose-Adeogun also stressed that the quality of AI-generated output depended on the accuracy and relevance of the information supplied to the system.

The Technical Director of SANA Group, Dr Sunit Deb Roy, said the company transitioned from contracting to manufacturing about 25 years ago. Its products include pre-engineered building systems, concrete blocks and fibre-reinforced concrete floors.

He said lightweight concrete slabs could reduce steel consumption and foundation costs, potentially lowering overall construction expenses.

Roy urged architects, engineers, manufacturers and quantity surveyors to collaborate at the early stages of project development, before specifications were finalised, to ensure that material choices reflected cost efficiency, structural requirements and practical construction considerations.