Stakeholders in Nigeria’s construction sector have called for urgent attention to eco-friendly building practices.
The appeal came during the BusinessDay Sustainable Building Conference held in Lagos, themed, ‘Sustainable Practices and Financing Solutions for the Nigerian Construction Sector’.
The event convened industry leaders, developers and innovators to tackle critical challenges such as building collapses, carbon emissions and outdated construction methods.
The conference underscored the construction sector’s significant contribution of nearly 40 per cent of global annual carbon emissions and highlighted the frequent building collapses in Nigeria, stressing the need for sustainable practices to reduce environmental harm and secure a livable future.
Managing Consultant at Wilmeb Nigeria Limited and a PhD candidate in green building,
delivered a compelling critique of Nigeria’s construction industry during an exclusive interview.
She emphasized the urgent need to bridge the skill gap and institutionalise green standards to align Nigeria’s built environment with global sustainability goals.
Bolusemihi identified a critical skills deficit among contractors and artisans as a major obstacle to sustainable construction.
“Our contractors and artisans, who are the hands-on workforce, often lack the technical know-how to execute eco-friendly designs.
“A bricklayer may excel at laying conventional blocks but has no training in sustainable alternatives like concrete blocks or laterite. Similarly, carpenters often lack expertise in installing wood flooring or stonework materials essential to green buildings,” said.
To overcome this, she advocated targeted, government- or industry-funded workshops.
“We need hands-on training programmes that bring artisans into the conversation. Without them, even the best-designed sustainable projects will fail at execution,” she stressed.
Highlighting the economic and health benefits of green buildings, Bolusemihi noted: “Green buildings are not just environmentally sound; they reduce energy and water usage, create jobs and minimise waste generation.”
She also called for Nigeria to develop its Green Building Code, drawing lessons from Ghana and South Africa.
Framing sustainability as a long-term economic advantage, she drew a comparison with solar energy adoption.
“Initially, people saw solar as expensive, but it eventually repaid costs and reduced reliance on erratic grid power. The same applies to green buildings,” he said.
The keynote address, delivered by the President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Akintoye Adeoye, echoed similar views.
Adeoye, who was represented by Dr Kunle Adeyemi, stressed that sustainability is not a slogan but a necessity to preserve resources and protect the environment for future generations.
“Nigeria’s rapidly growing population, projected to become the third largest globally, demands immediate action in sustainable construction to avoid irreparable mistakes in urban planning. If we don’t build right today, we will spend years correcting tomorrow’s errors,” he warned.
He also highlighted environmental impacts from poor construction practices, including emissions from informal activities such as roadside vulcanising, which pollute the air and pose serious health risks.
