The permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Esuabana Nko-Asanye has highlighted bamboo as a critical material for climate-smart housing in Nigeria. She noted that technologies developed by the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) have gained significant attention recently due to the urgent need for affordable and sustainable housing.
Represented by the director of environmental science and technology (EST), Benadette Oguche, the permanent secretary made this statement at a one-day capacity-building workshop in Abuja. The workshop, titled “The Relevance of Bamboo for Climate-Smart Housing Construction: Integrating NBRRI Technologies in Reducing Carbon Footprint,” focused on promoting bamboo as a green building material.
According to Nko-Asanye, bamboo is a versatile plant with a wide range of applications, including construction, carbon emission reduction, traditional medicine, paper production, food and other uses. She described it as a sustainable resource with a long-standing history in building materials.
She explained that adopting bamboo for construction would not only support environmental sustainability but also ensure housing solutions are adaptable, comfortable and affordable for low- and middle-income earners across Nigeria.
Nko-Asanye expressed confidence that the knowledge gained from the workshop would help stakeholders tackle current challenges, such as high initial capital costs and unstable raw material supply chains. She also commended NBRRI for its ongoing research and development efforts, which continue to deliver sustainable solutions for mitigating the impacts of climate change on the construction sector.
Earlier, the director of environmental science and technology, represented by the assistant director of environmental sciences, Ibok Edifon emphasised that bamboo, as a renewable, fast-growing and low-emission material, offers a unique opportunity to rethink environmentally friendly building practices for the benefit of Nigerians.
In a statement issued by the ministry’s head of press and public relations, Pauline Sule, Edifon noted that when integrated with NBRRI’s proven technologies, bamboo can serve as a scalable and sustainable solution to Nigeria’s growing housing needs. He encouraged participants to approach the workshop with open minds, fostering collaboration, dialogue, and mutual learning.
