By Adaora Adibe/ Nafisat Abdulrahman
At a time when Nigeria faces significant challenges in energy capacity and the automobile sector, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) fortnightly Zoom meeting anchored by the Director, Directorate of Corporate Affairs (DCA), Mr. Chuks Ngaha has brought to the limelight the urgent need for collaboration among policymakers, industrialists, and local stakeholders to enhance the nation’s infrastructure and support sustainable growth in the country.
The recent fortnightly Zoom meeting, themed “Boosting the Supply, Development, and Utilization of Raw Materials for the Housing, Automotive, and Transportation Industries,” convened experts from diverse fields to discuss strategies for advancing Nigeria’s housing, automotive, and transportation sectors.
A renowned Researcher Professor Hillary Iyang upon the commencement of the meeting delivered a lecture presentation, emphasizing the importance of the theme for Nigeria’s sustainable development cutting across various sectors.
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Prof Iyang spoke extensively on the importance of indigenous technologies in reducing the cost of housing and making it more affordable for citizens.
Explaining, he said, “Mining waste, something that will be very prevalent in the middle belt of Nigeria, solid waste, that is municipal solid waste, other byproducts of industrial activities could be reused in building transportation facilities, in building houses, and some of them also in building automobiles”
Prof Inyang further highlighted Nigeria’s lack of progress in energy capacity and of mass transportation systems such as trains to accommodate the growing population and reduce road congestion. He also spoke extensively on Nigeria’s potential in the solar sector and the need for policymakers and industrialists to collaborate to improve housing and transportation sectors.
An International Automotive Designer, Dr Jelani Aliyu emphasized the need for the right automotive products specifically designed and developed for Nigeria and Africa, taking into consideration the country’s unique environment and raw materials.
“There are certain materials, cobalt, lithium, and now even increasingly, sodium, that are essential in the manufacturing of automotive batteries and other electronics. So as we shift into new sources of power, there will be more emphasis on newer or different raw materials that would go from those that go into the batteries to, you know, more and more parts of the vehicle being from composites and plastics so that it is lighter and more heat resistant in some aspects” he explained.
Dr Jelani went ahead to suggest that the government and local companies should work together to overcome infrastructure challenges and create a cost-effective and environmentally friendly product.
“As Africa moves forward, it has to be protected, and at the same time, we have to uplift the standards of living of each and every man, woman, and child. So how do we get that balance? I strongly believe, the only way to get that balance is through sustainably sourced power to be able to provide transportation to every nook and corner of this great country, this great continent, without destroying the environment, and I believe you can only do that most effectively with renewable energy, which is vehicle electrification”, he stated.
In the course of the meeting, a Deputy Director of the council, Engr Ettu Obassi recommended that the private sector should be encouraged to develop and use local materials in construction. He called attention to the potential for increased employment opportunities in the building industry by utilizing local materials, using a model of houses built with woody materials at the University of Lagos as an example of innovative housing solutions.
While speaking on housing, Engr Obassi said “government has no business in some of these areas. It should be left with the private sector. All that the government needs to do is to provide the land, make it easy and cheaper for the developers to buy, and then the cost of selling their houses would also come down.
While wrapping up, Mr. Ngaha noted that the development of raw materials for the building, automotive, and transportation sectors including housing is a critical issue. He said these sectors are currently facing major challenges as Nigeria’s market is largely dominated by foreign brands which he said highlights a need for more locally sourced and developed materials to support sustainable growth and self-reliance.
” Of course there are issues and constraints of production costs, even as for the building sector, Nigeria is witnessing a very significant growth rate, but there are still a number of factors that plague the sector, such as huge uncontrolled urbanization, population expansion, insufficient infrastructure, lack of good roads, electricity and security, and even the right economic capacity for more people to get involved”.
The insights shared by experts, including the emphasis on indigenous technologies and local resource utilization, highlight a path forward that not only aims to enhance infrastructure but also fosters sustainable economic growth.
The meeting also included stakeholders, representatives from RMRDC’s state coordinating offices across the country, and so on.
