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**By Godswill Michael**
Samson Ameh Opaluwah, immediate past Chairman of the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON), has called for increased investment in indigenous building materials and construction technology to address Nigeria’s housing deficit, create jobs and strengthen the local economy.
Opaluwah said Nigeria needed to move beyond conventional housing strategies by expanding local production, improving construction methods and strengthening collaboration between research institutions, manufacturers and building professionals.
He made the call while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) 2026 induction of new fellows and dinner.
In his address, titled *“Building Trust, Building Nigeria: Our Professional Legacy and the Case for Indigenous Materials and Technology,”* Opaluwah said greater use of locally produced building materials could help deliver affordable housing while creating jobs and supporting domestic enterprises.
He argued that addressing the housing deficit required a production strategy alongside improved access to finance, land reform and infrastructure development.
“By 2050, Nigeria is projected to have a population of 440 million. With the current housing shortage estimated at between 18 million and 30 million, there is an urgent need to rethink the current housing strategies in our country,” he said.
Opaluwah said Nigeria needed to assess the economic value generated locally by its housing sector, the number of people employed in construction and the extent to which domestic research informed building practices.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise locally available resources, including suitable earth and clay products, responsibly sourced timber and appropriate agricultural-residue products, provided they met the required performance standards.
“Our approach should include the evaluation and development of locally available resources,” he said.
He also called for stronger domestic capacity to manufacture conventional building materials, construction components, fabricated products and equipment.
According to him, locally adapted prefabrication, modular coordination and improved production methods should be adopted where they could deliver better quality, faster construction and lower costs.
However, he stressed that locally produced materials and technologies must undergo appropriate testing and approval before being used in construction.
“Each material and technology must earn its place through testing, sound design, appropriate approval and competent installation. Suitability will differ by location, exposure and intended use,” he said.
He added that “Made in Nigeria” should become a mark of quality that Nigerians could trust.
The former CORBON chairman outlined five priorities for advancing indigenous building materials: linking research to production, creating credible markets for certified Nigerian products, strengthening manufacturing clusters, training workers to use new technologies and demonstrating the performance of local materials through pilot housing projects.
He urged the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), universities, polytechnics, manufacturers and professional bodies to establish partnerships that would move promising innovations from research laboratories to commercial production.
He also called for public housing programmes to give qualified domestic materials a fair opportunity to compete through transparent procurement processes and clearly defined performance requirements.
On manufacturing, Opaluwah urged the government and private investors to support industrial clusters with reliable electricity, transport infrastructure, access to finance and shared testing facilities.
He said the Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria and industry partners should align training programmes with the materials and construction systems used on building sites.
“A sound product poorly installed can fail. Manufacturers should support installation training, and builders should require evidence of competence from their teams,” he said.
Opaluwah also proposed pilot housing projects that would document material performance, construction costs, delivery timelines, maintenance requirements and users’ experiences to guide wider adoption of indigenous technologies.
While emphasising the importance of local production, he acknowledged that it alone would not resolve Nigeria’s housing challenges, noting that access to land, infrastructure, affordable financing and efficient approval processes remained critical.
“But a housing programme that develops Nigerian productive capacity can provide shelter while strengthening the economy that must sustain it,” he said.
On professional ethics and building safety, Opaluwah urged builders to uphold integrity, competence and established professional standards, warning against practices that could endanger buildings and their occupants.
He said ethical standards must guide procurement, material testing, inspections, quality assurance and safety arrangements on construction sites.
“The lives entrusted to us are more valuable than any contract,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure as CORBON chairman from 2022 to 2026, Opaluwah highlighted the gazetting of the Operational Regulations for Builders’ Practice and the Regulations for Health and Safety on Building Sites in 2025, as well as the introduction of digital platforms to improve registration and licensing processes.
He said the reforms were designed to strengthen accountability and professional practice, adding that their long-term impact would depend on consistent implementation.
He also highlighted efforts to improve collaboration among academic institutions, industry players and research organisations to translate scientific findings into practical construction solutions.
Addressing the newly inducted fellows, Opaluwah urged them to mentor younger builders, promote Nigerian innovations, support regulatory initiatives and apply their expertise to improving housing, schools, hospitals and community facilities.
He challenged each fellow to make a measurable contribution to the profession within one year through safer projects, improved construction processes, the adoption of sound innovations or the development of younger professionals.
“Fellowship is a call to become a reference point for the profession. Younger builders will learn from your decisions. Clients will place confidence in your judgment. Society will expect your professional distinction to produce public value,” he said.
Opaluwah called on the NIOB, CORBON, the Sector Skills Council for Building in Nigeria, research institutions, manufacturers and housing agencies to establish a practical platform for promoting ethical practice, indigenous innovation and construction competence.
He said the platform should identify certified local products, connect manufacturers with practitioners, support demonstration projects and create training opportunities.
“To government, I say: create the conditions in which quality Nigerian building production can thrive,” he said.
“To manufacturers: earn confidence through consistent performance and truthful claims. To researchers: pursue the journey from discovery to practical application.”
He said Nigeria’s building industry could contribute more effectively to national development by combining professional integrity and technical competence with sustained investment in domestic production.
“Every housing project should be an opportunity to build a home, build a skill, build an enterprise and build national capability,” he said.