The Federal Government has unveiled plans to construct bamboo houses for low and medium income earners across Nigeria, as part of its strategy to address housing challenges while promoting environmental sustainability.
Esuabana Asanye, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, made this announcement on Wednesday in Abuja during a Capacity Building Workshop focused on the relevance of bamboo for climate-smart housing construction.
Speaking through Benadette Oguche, Director of Environmental Science Technology (EST), Asanye emphasized that using bamboo as construction material would not only promote environmental sustainability but also ensure that housing solutions align with "principles of adoptability, comfort and affordability for low and medium income earners across Nigeria."
"Bamboo, a versatile plant which is used for a wide range of purposes including paper production, traditional medicine, as well as sustainable resource in long history of the use in building materials," Asanye stated.
Benefits of Bamboo Housing
Bamboo offers several advantages as a construction material. It grows rapidly, is renewable, has high tensile strength, and a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional building materials like concrete and steel. These properties make it an ideal choice for sustainable housing development in Nigeria's climate action plans.
The permanent secretary also commended the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) for their research efforts in developing sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change challenges in the country.
This initiative comes at a critical time when Nigeria faces both housing deficits and increasing pressure to adopt climate-friendly development approaches. The bamboo housing project could potentially provide affordable housing options while contributing to the country's environmental sustainability goals.
While specific timelines for implementation were not disclosed, the announcement signals the government's commitment to innovative approaches in addressing Nigeria's housing challenges.
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