In a bid to address the housing shortage in Nigeria, experts have suggested the use of mud bricks as a viable alternative to concrete-based materials. Although mud homes are fast becoming obsolete, they still provide shelter to many Nigerians who are subsistent farmers or pastoralists. Advocates of mud homes argue that they are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and have numerous benefits, including natural cooling effects, durability, weatherproofing, high compressive strength, and impressive load-bearing capacities for structures.
Earlier this year, the Executive Director of the Housing Development Advocacy Network, Barrister Festus Adebayo, advocated the use of red bricks and made-in-Nigeria construction materials to reduce the cost of providing affordable housing for Nigerians. Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Mr Olayemi Shonubi, urged the Federal Government to encourage research into the refurbishment of mud houses in the country.
However, an Abuja-based estate developer specializing in building mud homes, Akinola Ajibola, stated that the capacity of two functional clay industries in the country cannot cater to the housing demand of over 200 million citizens. According to him, the unavailability of clay bricks makes it more expensive in the short term. He suggests that for clay bricks to be adopted as an alternative way of construction in Nigeria, more investors are required in the manufacturing process with cheaper and more readily available fuel to power the production process.
