Mr. Femi Oyedele, a seasoned professional in the built environment sector, has highlighted the failure to incorporate research and development (R&D) findings into road and building construction as a major obstacle to achieving affordable housing in Nigeria.
Oyedele underscores that this oversight has discouraged further exploration into innovative construction materials and methods. Despite Nigeria’s staggering 20 million housing deficit, the cost of building materials and affordable housing units remains prohibitively high.
“We are being dragged into using expensive cement, aluminum roofing sheets, and ceramic water closets, whereas there are alternatives in clay blocks, galvanized sheets, and plastic water closets respectively,” Oyedele states.
Krent is a real estate platform in Nigeria. Whether you're looking to buy, rent, or short let a house, apartment, land, or commercial space, check out our listings. You can also request specific properties.
Advocating for the utilization of locally sourced building materials for affordable housing, he adds, “In the case of wall and floor tiles, we can use cheaper vinyl flooring and walling carpet instead of ceramic tiles and more expensive linoleum flooring.”
He emphasizes that affordable housing solutions tailored to low-income earners in Nigeria are attainable, provided cheaper and acceptable alternatives are embraced across all aspects of construction.
Contrary to assumptions of apathy towards affordable housing, Oyedele asserts that the public is eager for such solutions. He identifies other contributing factors such as pervasive poverty and overreliance on cement in construction practices, noting that sustainable housing development is unattainable amidst high unemployment rates.
“We also depend too much on cement for our housing. Cement was discovered in the England midland. They don’t use cement in their buildings as we do in Nigeria,” Oyedele explains. “For foundation, for sandcrete blocks, for lintel, for plastering, for screeding and flooring, we use cement. We also use imported roofing sheets and finishings like ceramic water closets and kitchen sink and taps.”
Furthermore, he criticizes the lack of implementation of housing policies, citing examples such as the Employees Housing Schemes (Special Provisions) Act 1979 and the National Housing Fund (NHF) Establishment Act Cap. N45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. He emphasizes the need for strategic planning and implementation to address Nigeria’s housing challenges effectively.
In light of these challenges, real estate platforms like Krent are indispensable. Krent offers a viable solution by providing budget-friendly housing options. On Krent, there’s something for everyone.
Click here to view our property listings!