The Lagos State Government has urged tertiary educational institutions and professional institutes in the built sector to focus on research on innovative building technology and the development of locally sourced building materials.
The state’s Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, who disclosed this, said that a substantial reduction in the cost of building homes can be achieved if there are concerted efforts at scientific enquiry into innovative building technology. He said that more research was needed to discover innovative building technologies that can reduce construction costs while maintaining home quality and safety.
Akinderu-Fatai urged professional associations and guilds to show keen interest in this research, as meaningful progress can only be attained in the sector when the available body of knowledge is expanded and utilized.
The commissioner, who also expressed concern on the increasing cost of building materials, said that exploring local sources of materials to substitute imported ones should fascinate scholars in this area of study. Akinderu-Fatai, however, appealed to contractors and real estate developers to engage local artisans in their construction efforts so as to furtherconsolidatethegrowth of the nation’s economy.
The commissioner, in addition, says that the state government is utilising all avenues to upgrade the skills of local artisans. This, according to him, is aimed at elevating the standards and reducing the outsourcing of such workers by developers. This, he said, would eventually reduce the cost of home development.
Source : New Telegraph
