Construction industry key to actualising new Nigeria

The Centre for Peace, Transparency and Accountability has identified the construction industry as a cardinal sector capable of strengthening Nigeria‘s image among the Committee of Nations.

The centre’s executive director, Mr Ogheneyero Patrick, said during a civil society roundtable with the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) on reviewing its achievements in Abuja.

The roundtable was themed: “Harnessing NBRRI Gains as Key Factor to Reach the Next Level of Government Agenda”.

Patrick declared that the direct employment capacity of the construction sector was massive and transversal to all sectors of the economy, through direct and indirect commitments.

“In assessing the country’s economic growth, the records clearly show, over the past two decades, that the impact of employment has been minimal.

“President Muhammadu Buhari‘s clear call for a paradigm shift in the management of the country’s economy is most timely.

“The construction sector holds an important key to the actualization of this new Nigeria, and NBRRI is a key player in opening up an unlimited prospect of opportunities for Nigerians, through capacity development”, a- he declared.

According to him, a key sector in which Nigeria has underperformed over the years, even when the country was teeming with oil revenues, is building and construction.

“Due to underinvestment, we ended up with a huge infrastructure deficit that takes decades to recover to meet the needs of Nigerians.

“Nigeria does not only need investments but also innovations in construction methods and materials.

“This will help reduce costs and delivery times as well as improve the quality of the industry’s products,” he said.

Patrick said the NBRRI has a mandate to conduct integrated research and development in various aspects of the building and road construction industries.

According to him, NBRRI has a central role to play in the vision of the administration led by Buhari for the development of micro-industrialization which would greatly expand the basin and the scope of local construction.

Patrick said the institute fulfilled its mandate in an environment where the work accomplished was unappreciated but remained focused on the tough task.

“Pozzolana, which was developed by NBRRI as a revolution in building technology, is one of the most discussed building phenomena in Africa.

“It has the ability to significantly reduce the cost of cement and, by extension, reduce the current 17 million unit housing deficit in the country.

“Pozzolana is produced from agricultural and volcanic waste,” he said.

According to Patrick, the purpose of the roundtable was to advocate for more funding for NBRRI, adding that construction goes beyond budgeting.

Speaking on the topic, NBRRI chief executive Mr Samson Duna said that the increase in the cost of imported building materials due to the high exchange rate and inflation had illuminated the need to explore local alternatives.

This, he said, would standardize existing materials to ensure affordable housing.

“The results show that Nigeria is endowed with abundant deposits of basic building materials, which, if explored, maybe the solution to some imported components,” Duna said. (NAA)

(NAN)