FG plans building materials hubs across six zones
…Says initiative will cut construction costs, boost local production
By John Alechenu
ABUJA — The Federal Government has reiterated its plan to establish Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs across the six geopolitical zones to reduce construction costs and expand access to affordable housing.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, disclosed this on Wednesday at the 56th Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIOB) in Abuja.
The conference had the theme, “Repositioning the Building Profession: Advocacy and Policy Influence on Housing Delivery for a Sustainable Built Environment.”
Akume said the hubs were designed to strengthen domestic supply chains, support local manufacturing and make building materials more accessible and affordable.
“Government is pursuing the development of Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs across the geopolitical zones precisely to support local production and reduce construction costs,” he said.
The SGF urged builders to deploy their technical expertise, research capacity and industry networks in shaping policies and programmes aimed at transforming the housing sector.
“Your role is to bring the technical knowledge, research capacity and industry networks to the table by contributing to policies and programmes from conceptualisation to delivery,” he stated.
Akume said the initiative was aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the administration’s commitment to providing affordable, safe, durable and sustainable housing.
He noted that housing went beyond physical structures, as it encompassed safety, dignity, family stability, wealth creation and improved quality of life.
The SGF charged the NIOB to uphold professionalism and ensure that competence, ethics and public trust remained the foundation of the building profession.
He warned against poor supervision, use of substandard materials, construction shortcuts, corruption and engagement of unqualified personnel, saying such practices undermined building quality and endangered lives.
Akume also urged the institute to intensify public awareness against quackery and ensure that certified builders did not lend their names or professional seals to projects they did not supervise.
He acknowledged that rising construction costs were putting home ownership beyond the reach of many families, calling for stronger collaboration among built-environment professionals.
He advocated measures such as design-to-cost, increased use of local materials, bulk procurement, waste reduction and modern construction methods to bring down the cost of construction.
Akume also urged builders to take advantage of the more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads currently under construction across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.
“Builders should not remain spectators to the scale of ongoing national development. Organise professional consortia, establish auditable quality-management systems, train and certify artisans, and compete for opportunities,” he said.
He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to prioritising housing and construction, citing President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a “secure, prosperous, inclusive, and respected” Nigeria.
Akume urged the NIOB to make the Renewed Hope Agenda tangible through a commitment to “one ethical professional, one safe site, one durable structure, and one affordable roof at a time.”
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