Stakeholders seek new regulations to bridge housing gap

Determined to address current urban housing demands, stakeholders have called on professionals in the building and financial sectors to align with government in their quest for energy-efficient, eco-friendly and cost-effective homes.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, led renowned experts in the call during the third edition of Lafarge Africa’s Concrete Ideas forum, a quarterly platform for strategic discussions on topical issues in the construction and other sectors in its value chain, with the theme: New Solutions for Nigeria’s Urban Housing.

He said: “The organised private sector must leverage entrepreneurial skills to deliver footprints in the housing sector as the federal government is initiating fiscal and monetary policies to create a level playing field for practitioners”.

Fashola urged the state Houses of Assembly and Attorney Generals to create enabling environment for land acquisition and transfer to aid urban renewal programmes.

He said the ministry has recommended that the data of the next census exercise must include data about homeownership and rentals to counter assumed figures that are in circulation and hampering developments.

In his opening remark, the Chairman, Lafarge Africa Plc, Prince Adebode Adefioye, said the company is adapting Holcim’s perspective to green building initiatives in Nigeria are purpose-built.

Prince Adefioye noted that Lafarge products are affordable and low-carbon emitting to suit the tropicalised Nigerian environment.

The Country’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khaled El Dokani, said the forum has become a veritable platform that brings key stakeholders across all sectors to proffer lasting solutions to urban housing initiatives and policies.

Stakeholders at the session, include the Chief Executive Officer, Economic Associates (EA), Dr. Ayo Teriba; the founder, Blue Tower-House (BTH), Ms. Amaka Nwaokolo; President, Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Kunle Awobodu and President, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Sonny Echono.

Others are Head of Mortar, Lafarge Africa Plc, Ms. Olajumoke Adegunle and Head, Technical Products and Innovation, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Femi Yusuff.

The concrete ideas platform embodies Lafarge Africa Plc’s leadership interventions, which have become a catalyst for the attainment of sustainable change and continuous improvement within the sector.

Also, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering (COREN) urged professional bodies in the built environment to develop a manual that will complement the Nigeria industrial standard on cement, which was part of recommendations to address building collapse in Nigeria.