NIA harps on indigenous building materials for construction

Nigerians have been urged to use local building materials because they represent the cultural identity of the Nigerian people and can form the template to develop architecture that can truly be called Nigerian.
This call was made by the President of Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA) Arc. Tonye Oliver Draide at the 2016 edition of Arch- Built themed ‘promoting the use of local materials’ held recently in Abuja.
 The NIA president noted that many builders have used local materials to achieve marvellous masterpieces like most of the palaces in Northern Nigeria and the vanishing walls in Kano and its historic gates.
He  said, “Many examples are dotted across the length and breadth of Nigeria.  We as a people therefore have an innate capacity to build and meet the requirements of shelter for the Nigerian people but have failed to build on this capacity to create solutions which are exportable and self-sustaining. We have been too eager to seek solutions outside our shores than look inwards when it comes to building design and construction.’’
He said that the result over dependent on imported building materials  may partially be contributing to our ever growing housing deficit, saying  each time we make an effort in developing Mass Housing we actually end up expanding the economies of foreign countries.
 Draide said that the new exchange rate of the dollar may actually be a blessing as it would  force us  to look inwards to develop home grown solutions to our construction requirements particularly when we seek to develop affordable housing.
He said in order for us to achieve result in developing home grown solution to achieve affordable housing, there is the need to develop the process of commercializing the production of local materials for buildings.
According to him, this would involve developing the entire value chain of using local materials in building construction and   to develop production optimization and sustainable methodologies to make the products cost effective and competitive.
“While local material refers to indigenous material, local content refers to the domiciliation of the production process. Local material will create a cultural identity and through innovation could become exportable. Local content will create jobs, save foreign exchange but may not be top in class in global standards. Local content could develop the capacity to transfer technology to local materials and make them competitive in the global market,” he said.
He called on architects to accept local materials as potent building materials and understand their attributes and properties, even as he said that the artisans and craftsmen who successfully use these materials are actually the master builders.
“We must open our doors to regularise the practice of village level designers and constructors. By learning the secrets of the trade, we shall create the opportunity to develop on the quality, sustainability and infusion of national acceptance of local building materials.
“Nigerian Institute of Architects has to be pragmatic in seeking solutions to low and middle income affordable housing. I expect to see a few exhibitors displaying local materials; I expect to see the mock-up of a 100% Nigerian House. We have to forge an enduring partnership with Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute along with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council and encourage research and development in our universities which will evaluate and increase the performance of our local materials. Our polytechnics should apply appropriate technology to build capacity at local level which will create direct impacts on our National Development. It has taken us 56 years to start seeking the promotion of our local building materials, we must not wait another 56 years to realise what we dream of today,” he said.