High cost of building materials: experts argue for local alternatives

Following rising costs of building materials, built environment experts are calling for the use of alternatives to improve the provision of affordable housing in the country.

According to one of the professionals, Agatha Christie, many local building materials have been used in traditional housing and have stood the test of time.

“If only we would look. They are standing, over 60 years old,” she said.

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Christie said that until the country uses local building materials, the quest for affordable housing for all may be a mirage.

Another expert, Medinah Huth, said Hydraform House was labeled Nigeria House because it used 95% local content.

Corroborating Huth, Abdul Hakeem, said the company had built thousands of homes using Hydraform construction technology.

“The main material is laterite. We have not damaged the environment. Let me give two examples of projects in Nigeria: the first, the Obasanjo housing estate in Ado Ekiti, we built around a hundred laterite houses on the project site without negative environmental impact; And two. Okpara Inland Estate built by the Delta State Government. We built 33 housing units.

“Laterite suppliers to the project continued to increase the price of laterite week after week. After about a month of frustration, we brought in a bulldozer and an excavator. We dug all the laterite needed for the project and filled the hole with topsoil extracted from the site. The laterite suppliers reported to us to their traditional chief that we had destroyed their environment. After the oba ordered an inspection of our site, we received a clean invoice. »

Another expert, who simply identified himself as “Olubayo,” described laterite as a type of soil rich in iron and aluminum, adding that it could be used to make compressed earth bricks (CEB ) without cooking or cementing.

“CEBs are natural, economical and sustainable building materials that can reduce the environmental impact of construction,” he said.

Listing some of the benefits of using laterite blocks, Olubayo said: “They can be recycled and reused easily, thereby reducing waste and saving resources.

“They have low energy consumption and low toxicity during production and application, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. They have good thermal and acoustic insulation properties, improving interior comfort and the energy efficiency of buildings. They are compatible with local climatic conditions and cultural preferences, thus enhancing the aesthetic and social value of buildings. »

The expert said the use of laterite blocks remains a sustainable and environmentally friendly option for construction in tropical and subtropical regions.

Olubayo said the time had come to make serious efforts to promote alternative construction technologies/materials to help reduce dependence on cement.

“Nigeria is covered in laterite from the southwest to the northeast; there is a lot of granite and wood. Affordable housing can only be achieved by using all three local materials for our housing, from the foundation to the roof. A wooden floor and a roof covered with asphalt shingles will suffice.

“It would also be helpful if the government set an example and ensure that it is visible using these materials for some of its own developments,” he said.

Femi Oyedele, a real estate valuation and valuation expert, said in a 2005 research on building materials, most building clients refused to use bricks due to cost and stigma.

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According to him, fired bricks are stronger and more expensive than sand concrete blocks due to the low attendance rate.

If the government could make 'exterior burnt brick walls' the national housing policy for residential buildings, he believes the price of burnt bricks would come down, adding that more people would be able to use them.

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