By Joshua Oboh The Nation
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has said it is exploring new frontiers in cost-effective housing delivery.
The ministry was speaking on the presentation of innovative construction machines developed by the Director and Head of the Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance, Ibechile Christopher Egwudale.
Egwudale had showcased a range of locally designed manual and semi-automated machines that would reduce construction costs and speed up delivery timelines, particularly for the ministry鈥檚 affordable housing initiatives.
The machines, which include interlocking Compressed Earth Block (CEB) moulders, pulverizing and sifting equipment, sandcrete mixers, and even agro-processing tools, such as ogbono seed cutters and hammer mills, were demonstrated before the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, and top ministry officials. including the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore.
鈥淭hese machines leverage locally sourced materials to deliver sustainable and budget-friendly housing solutions. They are designed to empower artisans, create jobs, and promote eco-friendly building practices using CEB technology,鈥 Egwudale said.
The minister, who said he was impressed by the range and potential impact of the inventions, praised Egwudale for his ingenuity.
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He urged the director to continue with further research, explore areas for improvement, and submit a comprehensive report on how brick-based construction could be integrated into the Federal Government鈥檚 Social Housing Programme.
Dangiwa noted that innovations like these are key to the ministry鈥檚 vision of delivering affordable homes to Nigerians without compromising quality or sustainability.
Also, Belgore lauded Egwudale鈥檚 passion for innovation and urged him to submit prototypes of the brick housing units for official review and assessment.
The permanent secretary described the director鈥檚 innovations as strategic towards self-reliance and cost reduction in housing delivery, especially at a time rising material costs were threatening access to decent shelter for low- and middle-income earners.