By Esther Alexander
The Nigeria Institute of Building has tasked the incoming administration with making the construction of mass housing for Nigerians a top priority.
The creation of mass housing units, according to the institute, would not only alleviate the housing shortage but will also address a social welfare issue. It will also reflect the economy, generating jobs for our growing population.
Speaking on the sidelines of a 2-day workshop organized by Nigeria Institute of Building held in Abuja with the theme: “Innovation and technology in housing development” with the sub-themes:” Understanding the Nigeria housing challenge, technology-driven mass housing provision and innovations to address housing affordability,” the president of the Institute, Prof Yohana Izam said that there is an urgent need for mass housing provision.
“We have look at the deficit in housing which some people have put the figures at 20 million. So I will say that the incoming administration should consider it as a priority to begin to develop mass houses for Nigerians that will solve a social welfare problem and it will also reflect the economy that will create jobs for our teaming populace,” he said.
Izam stated that dry building is about solving the issue of speed of construction while reflecting on the paper he delivered at the workshop about dry construction.
According to him, dry construction appears to reduce the number of sites activities. That is referring to industrialized building systems, which use more prefabricated parts and can be put up quickly on a construction site.
“So it is dry because the operations are being considerably reduced because most of the construction components are being produced off the site and they are only been assembled.
“The time for construction is reduced and in the long time factory production of a considerable number of components improves the quality of the components and also in the long time it will also reduce the cost of production.
“That is what other countries are using to address the issue of mass housing provision. We are talking about large numbers, if we can do 700,000 units in Nigeria for the next 10-20 years then we will now stabilize in the housing sector then Nigerians can have affordable housing,” he said.
In the same vein, the second vice president of NIOB, Abimbo Kolade said that the housing challenge we have in Nigeria is enormous and that even knowing the actual data for the housing deficit that we have is another challenge.
He said that we all need shelter and innovation and technology must be put into the way that we do housing delivery in Nigeria both from the initial stage to the production stage and even at the usage stage.
He further said part of what they are discussing in the workshop is that they know that the new administration is coming especially some of them that are in the building industry there is a need for them to set up an agenda for this new administration on how they can in housing provision in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Isimaila Adamu of Yobe State University Damaturu said that providing affordable housing units to low-income groups is based on using lean technology techniques.
