Thesis Abstract

Abstract
The housing sector in Nigeria plays a critical role in the overall development of the country, providing shelter, creating jobs, and contributing significantly to the economy. However, one of the major challenges facing housing development in Nigeria is the high cost of building materials. This research aims to investigate the effect of building material cost on housing development in Nigeria. The study will employ both qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather data from various sources, including interviews with key stakeholders in the housing industry, surveys of developers and contractors, and analysis of historical cost data. The research will focus on understanding the factors that contribute to the high cost of building materials in Nigeria, such as import duties, transportation costs, exchange rate fluctuations, and supply chain inefficiencies. Furthermore, the study will examine the impact of building material cost on different aspects of housing development, including affordability, quality, and the pace of construction. By analyzing the relationship between building material cost and housing development indicators, the research aims to provide insights that can help policymakers, developers, and other stakeholders address the challenges posed by high material costs. The findings of this research are expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on housing development in Nigeria and provide practical recommendations for improving the cost-effectiveness of housing projects. By identifying strategies to reduce the cost of building materials, such as promoting local production, improving infrastructure, and streamlining regulatory processes, this study seeks to support the government's efforts to address the housing deficit in Nigeria and make housing more accessible to the population. Overall, this research will shed light on the complex relationship between building material cost and housing development in Nigeria, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of real estate and urban development. The findings of this study have the potential to inform future policy decisions and industry practices aimed at creating a more sustainable and inclusive housing sector in Nigeria.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Researchers in building sector have indicated that between 50 to 60 per cent of the total construction input goes into building materials. As a result, there is an urgent need to address the high cost of these products which is said to have slowed down the growth of the building and construction sector in Nigeria.Building materials constitute the largest single input in housing construction. While Adedeji(2010) observed that about sixty (60) per cent of the total housing expenditure goes for the purchase of building materials, Arayela(2005) averred that the cost of building materials constitute about 65 percent of the construction cost.

Ogunsemi (2010) opined that building materials formthe main factors that restricts the supply of housing andascertained that they account for between 50-60 percentof the cost of buildings. Thus, Adedeji (2002) rightly observed that one main barrier to the realization of effective housing in Nigeria as revealed in successive government efforts has been the cost of housing in the country. He argued that in the early periods, shelter in Nigeria was easily affordable as building materials were sourced from the immediate environment at affordable costs. Technology also was readily available withcommensurate simple techniques. But contact with the outside world through interregional and international training of professionals in foreign countries as occasioned by colonization, brought changes to tastes and hence outlook to house forms. These changes rendered the undeveloped local building materials inadequate while there was an increased demand for exotic ones. Accordingly, Arayela (2002) posited that the modern building industry lays much emphasis on sophisticated building materials and techniques that are expensive and energy consuming. Though, housing delivery efforts have evidently been inhibited by prohibitive costs of building materials,this problem cannot be reasonably and reliably overcome by merely resorting to the use of locally available materials without due considerations to the applicable initiative, the cost of processing and sustainability of the local materials. One of the most important components of asustainable building is the material efficiency. Correct selection of building materials can be performed by taking into account their complete life span and by choosing products with the minimal environmental impacts. For instance, González and Navarro (2006) estimated that the selection of building materials with low environmental impacts can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 30%. The use of renewable and recycled sources is widely encouraged as the life-cycle of a building and its elements can be closed (Chwieduk, 2003). The major factor that greatly affectthe selection of building materials are their costs and social requirements such as thermal comfort, good mechanical properties (strength and durability), aesthetic characteristics and an ability to construct quickly. Ideally, the combination of all environmental, economic and social factors can give a clear description of a material, and thus helps in a decision making process regarding the cost of the materials suitable for buildings (Abeysundara, et, al.,2009) . Nigerians would continue to pay more for accommodation in major cities until the cost of building materials is subsidized through probably through tax reduction. The instability in the price of building materials was posited as a direct result of high taxes which in turn impacts on the cost of accommodation in major cities across the country.According to Arayela (2002), many completed housing estates had remained unoccupied because of the high rental and sale prices attached to them as against the meager income of the average Nigerian workers. He also added that if government can revitalise our industrial base, the cost of building materials will come down and many more people would be able to build houses.He therefore  urged the Federal Government to provide tax relief for local manufacturers and importers of building materials in order to reduce the high cost of accommodation in major cities.