By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government is set to establish Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to boost local production, reduce construction costs and improve access to affordable housing.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, disclosed this on Wednesday, 19 August, 2026, in Abuja, while declaring open the 56th Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Builders.
According to a statement by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s (OSGF) spokesman, Chris Ugbuegbulam, Akume explained that the initiative was aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains, supporting local manufacturing and making building materials more accessible and affordable to Nigerians.
He urged members of the Nigerian Institute of Builders to contribute their technical expertise, research capacity and industry networks to the formulation and implementation of policies aimed at transforming the housing sector, explaining that government was pursuing the development of the hubs precisely to support local production and reduce construction costs, and that the institute’s role was to bring technical knowledge and industry networks to the table by contributing to policies and programmes from conceptualisation to delivery.
According to the SGF, the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly its commitment to expanding access to safe, durable, sustainable and affordable housing.
Akume explained that housing was not merely about physical structures but also encompassed safety, dignity, family stability, wealth creation and improved quality of life.
He warned against poor supervision, the use of substandard materials, construction shortcuts, corruption and the engagement of unqualified personnel, explaining that such practices could compromise the integrity of buildings and endanger lives and investments.
The SGF also urged the institute to intensify public awareness on the dangers of quackery and ensure that certified builders did not lend their names or professional seals to projects they did not supervise.
He acknowledged the challenge posed by rising construction costs, noting that increasing prices were putting home ownership beyond the reach of many families.
Akume called for stronger collaboration among professionals in the built environment, alongside the adoption of measures including better design-to-cost, increased use of local materials, bulk procurement, waste reduction, modern construction methods, transparent bills of quantities and stronger domestic supply chains.
The SGF further urged builders to take advantage of the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects, disclosing that more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads were currently under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation, citing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and East-West Road among major projects being undertaken by the administration.
Akume challenged builders to organise professional consortia, establish auditable quality-management systems, train and certify artisans, and compete for opportunities in housing, transportation infrastructure, public facilities and local-content projects.
He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to making construction and housing development a national priority, irrespective of political considerations.
