Operators in the built environment have said local production of building materials will boost industralisation drive in the country.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, a professor of Estate Management, University of Lagos, Timothy Nubi, said housing was the shortcut to complete industrialisation in the country.
He said, “When we are serious about the business of housing, the whole nation will be mobilised. When housing is seen as a commodity and the government begins to build houses through industrial plans, which are called the industrialisation of the housing process, then we will see houses being mass-produced birthing affordability.
“To industrialise, the starting point is housing, because using locally produced building materials empowers unskilled labour to help in the mass production of housing. This is because the construction process of the finished product is a big process. If we can focus on the housing sector, allowing and encouraging local manufacturing, the whole nation will be mobilized to a life of productivity.”
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of Magnificent Choice Services, Project and Engineering Ltd, Akinsele Jeremiah, said the housing sector served as a fundamental catalyst for industrialisation, poverty alleviation, and economic transformation.
He said, “The sector is a significant source of employment for millions of skilled and unskilled labour. A key driver of the nation’s industrialisation efforts lies in the production of local building materials. In order to reduce production costs, it is imperative for the government to provide incentives to developers for the mass production of housing.
“Housing is a form of job creation in any economy. When you go to any part of the world, you will see how housing has created enough jobs, and it will attract lots of investments, hence bringing economic transformation to the economy.”
