Razaq Lawal, former chief engineer at the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), has emphasized the critical importance of leveraging local building materials to curb the escalating costs of purchasing and renting apartments in Nigeria.
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Speaking to Daily Sun during the burial ceremony of his late father, Monzoure Lawal, in Lagos, Lawal underscored the significance of integrating local building materials into construction practices.
He recounted how his father, a respected community leader, instilled in him the value of utilizing local materials alongside foreign ones to ensure resilience in the face of material shortages.
Lawal expressed regret over his father’s passing, highlighting the invaluable lessons he learned from him. He described his father as a pillar of their community, revered for his leadership and advocacy for the use of local building materials in construction projects.
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Reflecting on his father’s legacy, Lawal emphasized the need for laws promoting the adoption of local building materials to address the challenges of rising housing costs. He stressed that harnessing indigenous resources could significantly mitigate the dependency on expensive imported materials, thereby reducing the financial burden on homeowners and tenants.
Lawal’s insights underscore the urgent need for policymakers and industry stakeholders to prioritize the utilization of local building materials as a sustainable solution to housing affordability challenges in Nigeria.
