The Nigerian Institute of Building has urged the incoming Government to make construction of affordable houses for citizens a priority.
The president, NIOB, Prof. Yohanna Izam, stated this 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”.
Izam said that there was an urgent need for mass housing provision in the country ameliorate the housing deficit.
According to him, the provision of mass housing would 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 a priority.
“It will solve a social welfare problem and it will also reflect the economy that will create jobs for our teaming populace,” he said.
Speaking on his presentation on 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.
“We are talking about large numbers, if we can do 700,000 units in Nigeria for the next 10 to 20 years, then we will now stabilise in the sector and Nigerians can have affordable housing,” he said.
On his part, Mr Bimbo Kolade, 2nd Vice President of NIOB, 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.
A participant at the workshop, Mr Olaniran Aderobigbe, said the workshop was key because it keeps builders abreast of the latest innovation in the industry globally.
Aderibigbe said most of the presentations would give participants a mindset, to process and apply the techniques when they eventually come across them.
