NIA seeks govts’ support on local building materials

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) has sought the support of government at different levels in promoting indigenous manufacturers of building materials. The president, NIA, Mr. Tonye Oliver Draide, made this  call  at a press conference in respect of the inaugural edition of the West Africa Architecture Festival slated for October 24-28, 2016 in Port […]

The Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) has sought the support of government at different levels in promoting indigenous manufacturers of building materials.
The president, NIA, Mr. Tonye Oliver Draide, made this  call  at a press conference in respect of the inaugural edition of the West Africa Architecture Festival slated for October 24-28, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He argued that substituting importation of various materials for building construction with local production was imperative to get Nigerian economy out of the wood, create employment and bridge housing deficit in the country.
He explained that the forthcoming festival, themed: Harnessing the Great African Potential in the Global Value Chain, was the first in a series of 10; aimed at proving to the world that the Nigerian vibrant local market gives investors and consumers better opportunities.
“We want houses in Nigeria to be structures beyond local blocks and cement. We want a situation whereby virtually every components used in building construction are produced in  n the country.
“There is need for the government to put up policies that can support this agenda. Imported building components such as doors, tiles and so on, always deny the middle class access to many housing project targeted at bridging housing deficit.
Similarly, Chairman, NIA, Rivers Chapter, Dike Emmanuel, also explained that “many products are produced in Nigeria, shipped out of the country and given foreign labels after which they are sold back to Nigeria as imported.
“This shows that Nigeria has the labour capacity to achieve locally all we spend our hard-earned money to buy from overseas. People sometimes buy inferior products because there are no local alternatives.