Get Guardian on GooglePROFESSIONAL builders have called for greater use of indigenous building materials and construction technologies to tackle Nigeria’s housing deficit, create jobs and strengthen local manufacturing.
The Immediate Past Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), Dr Samson Opaluwah, made the call at the induction of new fellows of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB).
Opaluwah, who is also President of the Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria, said addressing the housing shortage required a production strategy alongside improved access to finance, land reform and infrastructure.
He urged government to create an enabling environment for local manufacturers to produce reliable materials, while researchers, developers and construction professionals work together to turn innovations into practical solutions.
With Nigeria’s population projected to reach 440 million by 2050 and its housing deficit estimated at between 18 million and 30 million units, he said the country needed to rethink its housing delivery model.
He advocated a competitive domestic building industry capable of producing quality materials, creating skilled jobs, supporting local enterprises and delivering affordable homes that households could maintain.
Opaluwah identified locally available earth and clay products, responsibly sourced timber, agricultural-residue materials and other tested alternatives as options for reducing dependence on imported products. He also called for investment in locally adapted prefabrication, modular construction, domestic component manufacturing and construction equipment.
He stressed that materials and technologies must meet established performance standards, undergo appropriate testing and receive necessary approvals before use. Their suitability, he added, should be assessed against local climate conditions, intended applications and maintenance requirements.
To strengthen the industry, Opaluwah proposed five priorities: linking research to production, creating markets for certified Nigerian products, developing manufacturing clusters, training skilled workers and publishing evidence from pilot projects.
He called for partnerships among the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), universities, polytechnics, manufacturers and professional bodies to move innovations from research and testing to commercial production and practical application.
Public housing projects, he said, should support suitable locally manufactured materials through transparent procurement and clear performance standards. Government and investors should also provide manufacturers with reliable energy, transport infrastructure, financing and shared testing facilities.
He added that smaller producers needed accessible certification processes and opportunities to improve product quality and reach larger markets.
Opaluwah urged stakeholders to develop pilot housing projects that document material performance, construction costs, delivery timelines, maintenance requirements and occupants’ experiences. Such evidence, he said, would help determine whether innovations should be adopted more widely.
He cautioned that local production alone would not resolve the housing crisis, stressing that access to land, infrastructure, affordable finance and efficient development approvals remained essential. He also called for stronger professional ethics, quality assurance and accountability throughout the construction process, noting that integrity and technical competence were necessary to deliver safe buildings.
Opaluwah disclosed that about 1,544 builders had been registered and licensed in the preceding three years. He urged practitioners to apply buildability, maintainability, quality assurance and production management principles from the earliest stages of projects.
Also, the President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Bature Muhammad, represented by the Chairman of its Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Committee, Charles Ebiai, said fellowship carried greater responsibility for professional integrity, mentoring younger practitioners and contributing to national development.
He emphasised inter-professional collaboration to improve quality, sustainability, transparency and value for money in development projects.
