AFFORDABLE HOUSING DELIVERY THROUGH INDIGENOUS TECHNOLOGY: CASE FOR OUR LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS

Nwabuna, Nwokedi P;¹ Chima Ikwuo Oko;¹ Muoghara Remigius R;¹ Sylvester Irem Okoroafor.¹

ABSTRACT

This study is about indigenous technology and how it can be used to raise the performance bar of our local building materials to provide affordable houses so as to help bridge the house deficit gap in Nigeria. The discourse on indigenous technology remains a globally – relevant phenomenon especially now Nigeria is poised to diversify her economy, reduce pressure on the foreign exchange reserve, house her teeming population rather than continuing to rely on oil based mono – economy. Every nation of the world is endowed with one type of national resource or the other; ranging from solid mineral deposits, oil and gas, vast and arable land mass, very clement weather, raw materials for building and construction purposes and, of course, abundant human resources. The ability of a particular nation state to leverage positively on its national resources goes a long way to give fillip to the Nation’s development index. The data for this study were collected from primary and secondary sources such as, existing literature, case studies, field observation, and personal interviews, hence the study adopted descriptive design in its investigation. It was discovered that given the needed attention and patronage, indigenous technology can be a tool through which our locally available building materials can be used to provide affordable houses for the teeming population of the country.

Keywords: Indigenous Technology, Local Building Materials, Technology, Affordable Housing