The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye, has said that the technology to address diverse needs within Nigeria’s housing sector on green technologies has gained significant consideration recently as a result of the need to build affordable and durable houses using bamboo.
Asanye made this statement at a one-day capacity-building workshop on the topic, “Relevance of Bamboo for Climate-Smart Housing Construction: Integrating Nigerian Building Road Research Institute (NBRRI) Technologies in Reducing Carbon Foot Print,” today in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented at the event by the Director, Environmental Science Technology in the ministry, Mrs. Benadette Oguche, said, “Bamboo is a versatile plant used for a wide range of purposes including construction reduction in carbon emission, traditional medicine, paper production, food and various purposes as well as a sustainable resource in a long history of the use in building materials’’.
Asanye explained that by adopting this construction materials Nigeria will not only promote environmental sustainability but also ensure that the construction process align with principles of adoptability, comfort and affordability for both low and medium income earners in the country.
She also said that she believes that the knowledge gained from the workshop will help overcome the challenges that lies ahead which include high initial capital cost, unstable supply of raw materials among others.
She commended the NBRRI for its research and development in the building construction sector that has produced sustainable solutions to mitigate the challenges of climate change in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Director of Environmental Science and Technology, who was represented by the Assistant Director Environmental Sciences, Mr. Ibok Edifon, said that the spotlight on bamboo as a renewable, fast growing and low emission building materials present a unique opportunity to rethink how we design and construct our buildings to be environmentally friendly for the benefit of the citizens of the country.
She added that when integrated with the NBRRI proven technologies, bamboo can provide a scalable solution to the housing needs of our growing population without exploitation of the environment and also called on the participants to approach the workshop with open mind and spirit of collaboration, fostering constructive dialogue and mutual learning.
