Housing market gains as AHS set to promote home-grown building technology

The housing market is set to gain as the Abuja Housing Show, in line with the Federal Government’s new policy on made-in-Nigeria products, is out to promote home-grown building and construction technology.

The organizers of the show, in a statement in Lagos at the weekend, disclosed that it would devote a full day at its forthcoming 11th edition to interact with artisans, Nigeria Directorate of Employment (NDE) and all skill training institutions in Nigeria with the collaboration of professional bodies.

“Artisan’s training and engagement of already trained indigenous ones should be prioritized in the country”, said Festus Adebayo, CEO, FESADEB Media Group, organizers of the event, assuring that the AHS was determined to address housing problem in the country holistically.

Continuing, he said, “it is time to have our own capable and competent artisans. We are not creating employment by going to Togo and Republic of Benin to get tillers, POP designers and painters; AHS will be the climax of discussions on this; we are seeking participation and collaboration of all lovers of skill development in the housing sector to tackle this issue”.

On promotion of local building and construction technology, Adebayo disclosed that a made-in-Nigeria pavilion had been set aside, explaining that this was aimed at supporting government’s policy, boosting and catering for the interest of all building technology that could help in the area of affordable housing.

“Such pavilion would equally boost the activities of companies that were based or sited in Nigeria;  if we encourage or patronise construction technologies that are locally sourced, it will help to create jobs and reduce unemployment”, he noted.

He called on all indigenous construction companies to partner AHS in the promotion of made in Nigeria building technology for affordable housing, disclosing that the Council of Registered Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Nigeria Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Nigeria Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigeria Institute of Surveyors (NIS) and Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) as well as Federation of Civil Contractors would participate.

He said that the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) would join the international speakers to deliberate on these issues. He called on labour unions and the National Assembly to join in the advocacy to create jobs through housing development in the country.

 

CHUKA UROKO