Modern technology necessary for housing deficit reduction- experts

Nigeria needs to embrace modern building technology to bridge its housing deficit of over 22 million units
If Nigeria`s 22 million housing deficit is to be reduced, one million houses would be required annually for the next 20 years to bridge the accommodation gap.
To meet this target, stakeholders are of the view that the country has to embrace modern technology in housing construction.
The conventional way (bricks and mud) of construction to bridge the housing gap should pave way for the innovative technology to produce mass housing in the country.
Stakeholder argued that the only way Nigeria can bridge its accommodation deficit is through adoption of modern technology to deliver mass and quality houses within the shortest time.
This, they said, are the practice in the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia, among others, where different types of modern building technologies such hydra foam, formwork, modular, moladi and building systems are in use.
The speed of construction made it easier for developers to reduce the cost of financing, cost of labour and to effectively deliver better and cheaper housing units for customers.
Group Chief Executive Officer Alpha Mead, Engineer Femi Akintunde said through the use of technology in housing construction many unskilled workers would be up-skilled as experts would be brought in to train them how to use the modern building equipment.
According to the group managing director, Nigeria can only bridge 20 million housing deficit with the use of modern technology and not through conventional building method.
Lending his voice to the introduction of technology in housing construction, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, at the inauguration of the new President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Kunle Awobodu urged professionals in the built industry to develop new skills for the promotion of innovative building techniques that are anchored on indigenous building materials.
Group Chairman, Alpha Mead, Mutiu Sumonu, said that building with technology would transform the housing industry greatly.
Private sector and government need to collaborate by embracing modern technology to boost the nation`s housing delivery efforts.