Nigeria has no reason for housing deficits –Minister

By Maduka Nweke

The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has said that with Nigeria’s numerous natural endowments, it should have no reason to suffer housing deficit.
The Minister, who was in Ogun State recently to commission the first Pozzolana Plant (pilot scale) situated at the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) in Ota, said the country is blessed with abundant human and material resources yearning for exploitation in the housing industry. Onu said that with focus on NBRRI, housing will become not only available, but also affordable, stressing that Pozzolana turns discarded materials considered as waste into wealth in the housing industry.
He said the focus on NBRRI is a direct move to factor direct and indirect research into having alternative building materials sourced locally by local technology and research institutes. “We work with the institute to make sure that Nigeria utilises what it has to develop the nation and by that create jobs, improve the economy and shore up the naira value among other currencies. Science and technology is ready to support to ensure this is achieved. We have a research institute that has been developed into a pilot scale and our objective is that what we do today will be improved upon tomorrow.
“The research products will be developed and commercialised by Nigeria. We don’t want, after it has been developed, foreigners come and commercialise them. We are using our raw materials and by that we create value for things that would have been discarded. Nigerians need the best and the best can serve the needs and purposes for Nigeria,” he said.
The Minister who was also in Ikoyi, Lagos, to inaugurate the National Artisan Training Centre, an arm of NBRRI, informed the public that although NBRRI is already in Ota, Ogun State, Abuja, Kano, Nnewi, Anambra State and Ebonyi State, with Lagos as national headquarters, there are plans to extend the institute to every state of the country for a far reaching service to Nigerians.

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