NIOB urges government to reduce high cost of houses

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) has urged government to reduce the present high cost of affordable houses.

The institute said in order for government to achieve their goal for affordable house, there is a need to use local construction materials and technologies of housing construction.

“This will help in bringing down the cost to the affordability bracket”.

President of NIOB, Prof. Yohanna Izam, made the disclosure on Thursday at a two-day Mandatory Continuous Professional Development Workshop for its members in Abuja.

The theme of the workshop is “Innovation and technology in housing development”and sub theme: ‘Understanding the Nigeria housing challenge, technology driven mass housing provision and innovations to address housing affordability’.

“ As we all know by the United Nation recommendation, you don’t use more than 30% of ones income on housing”, he said.

Izam noted that there is need to bring down the cost of houses to that range, if not, we cannot achieve housing for all in Nigeria.

“Another option is to increase the wages to a living wage and improve on the wage structure. When this is achieved, low income earners can afford the houses”.

Speaking on the institute plan for the coming administration, he said the institute is also charging the incoming government to make construction of affordable houses for citizens a priority.

The president said that there was an urgent need for mass housing provision in the country.

According to him, the provision of mass housing units will not only address the housing deficit but will also solve a social welfare problem.

“We have look at the deficit in housing which some people have put the figures at 20 million. So the incoming administration should consider it as a priority to begin to develop mass houses for Nigerians.

“It will solve a social welfare problem and it will also reflect the economy that will create jobs for our teaming populace,” he said.

While speaking on the paper he presented at the workshop about Dry Construction he said that it was about addressing the issue of speed in construction.

According to him, it helps to minimise the amount of onsite activities that involves industrialised building system that use more of refabricated components assembled within a short time on the construction site.

“The time for construction is reduced and on the long time factory production of considerable number of components improve the quality of the components and also reduce the cost of production.

“That is what other countries are using to address tfhe 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 stabilise in the housing sector then Nigerians can have affordable housing,”he said.

Similarly, 2nd Vice President of NIOB, Bimbo Kolade decried the lack of accurate data on housing deficit in the country.

He said that shelter was critical and innovation and technology must be deployed to address housing delivery in Nigeria from the foundation stage to the last level of delivery.

Kolade said as builders one of the objectives of the workshop was to set an agenda for the incoming administration on the need for mass housing.

Prof. Ismaila Adamu of Yobe State University Damaturu who presented a paper on provision of affordable housing using Lean Technology said the Technology would help reduce cost.

“It is a technique for project construction management, where you cut down cost through eliminating waste and eliminate any activity in the production process that does not add value to the building.

“Since we are looking for innovative ways for affordable housing units it is a technique that manages planning with control, so that when you plan you also control.

“When you talk of affordable housing you can look at it from different perspectives, affordable houses to who?

“Everyone has the type of house he wants, because you see sometimes government builds houses and give to people but they sell it and go and construct the type that they like.

Adamu said effort must be put into providing houses for the low income groups that are really affordable and cost effective.

One of the participants of the workshop, Olaniran Aderobigbe, a fellow of NIOB and Managing Director of Projubi Nigeria Plc said the workshop was key because it keeps builders abreast of the latest innovation the industry globally.

Aderibigbe said most of the lectures were futuristic and would give participants a mindset to process and apply the techniques when they eventually come across them adding that the workshop was worthwhile.