FG to adopt technology driven by local content in construction industry—Minister
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu has given an indication that the federal government is currently working on technology-driven innovations and research to replace some existing and outdated way of construction activities.
Speaking at 2018 NBRII International Conference, with the theme, ‘Sustainable Development Goals and the Nigerian Construction Industry-Challenges and the way forward,’ the minister noted that the new technology powered construction activities can be achieved through intensifying research on the use of locally available materials for the construction of both roads and houses in the country.
He therefore called on all states governments to ensure sustainable training of artisans and craftsmen for the construction industry as the country still depends on other countries for supplies.
According to him, “This has become so important for our country, because in the midst of high levels of unemployment, we still rely on other countries, including our neighboring countries to supply us with the artisans and craftsmen we need for our construction industry.
Earlier in his opening address, the Director-General of Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRII), Danladi Matawal, said the climate change challenge can also be responded to with a more holistic approach to built environment issues by all stakeholders with emphasis on planning, landscape, architecture, conservation and engineering.
He noted that “Nigeria needs to key in to the rest of the world to improvise innovative simple, cheap and user friendly solutions for the nation’s built environment to harness benchmarks of the United Nation SDGs to develop a sustainable built environment satisfying the need of the present without destroying the potentials of the future.”
