On the need for sustainable construction in Nigeria (1)

One of the largest users of global consumable resources and contributors to pollution levels is the construction industry. Construction industry products are expensive and mostly ‘unaffordable’ to the masses, globally. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) estimates that about one billion people live in makeshift structures lacking at least one of the basic services which collectively form ‘adequate housing’ globally. The UNO has also projected that the number of people living in ‘inadequate housing’ or substandard houses will rise to three billion by 2030. In Nigeria alone, the built environment is responsible for 37 percent of the country’s carbon emissions. The “net zero by 2050”, the target of the Paris Agreement, means there is a huge necessity for construction in Nigeria to practice sustainable development. Physical infrastructure, which is the product of the construction industry, is in high deficit in Nigeria. Housing deficit is in the region of 22 million units. Nigeria ranks lowest in infrastructure provision in 2024 when it took 124th position out of the 124 countries surveyed by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) statistics.

Nigeria allocated a total budget of N148.1 billion to its Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. This budget has been described as “inadequate and ridiculous” by experts in the construction industry in the country. The ‘inadequate’ 2025 housing budget means that housing practitioners in Nigeria must look beyond government funding for adequate housing and practice sustainable construction. Sustainable construction means designing, constructing, and operating buildings and infrastructure in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible way. Sustainable construction aims to reduce the negative health and environmental impacts caused by the construction process and by the operation and use of buildings and the built environment. It also aims to ensure social inclusion in construction and economic ways of construction. It can be seen as the construction industry’s way of contributing more to sustainable development.

Sustainable construction means building with renewable and recyclable resources and materials. During construction projects, care must be taken to reduce waste and energy consumption where possible and protect the natural environment around the site. Cutting cost without necessarily cutting quality or services provided by buildings and observing social norms in the built environment is now a must. Sustainability in construction seeks to radically reduce both embodied and operational emissions. ‘Embodied emissions’ refers to the  carbon dioxide (CO2) that is produced from the construction materials and the process of construction, and ‘operational emissions’ are the carbon emissions released as a result of the day-to-day life of the building as it is operated, whether as a home, commercial, office or industrial building.

Sustainable development or sustainability came into the front burner in 1987 through “Our Common Future” or the Brundtland Report, which was published by the United Nations through the Oxford University Press. The publication was in recognition of the roles of Gro Harlem Bundtland, former Norwegian prime minister and chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Initially focussing on man and his environment, sustainable development is now discussed to cover people, planet and prosperity in the three legs of economic, social, and environmental factors. Sustainable construction brings numerous benefits, which have been called ‘the pillars of sustainability’. The three most significant drivers of sustainable building activity are: 

Economic: Construction, especially sustainable construction, is sometimes criticised for using expensive materials, but data has shown that green buildings achieve a seven percent increase in their value over traditional buildings. It also ensures savings on utility bills for tenants or households. Adoption of sustainable design and construction methods and materials will considerably bring the cost of construction to an affordable level.

Environmental: Using renewable energy and sustainable building materials will help in the fight against climate change, reduce construction cost and ensure the culture of the people reflects in the buildings. Greener buildings improve waste management and lower greenhouse gas emissions, not only by reducing or eradicating negative impacts on the environment but also by positively impacting the environment at a wider level by generating their own energy or increasing biodiversity. 

Social: The social benefits of sustainable construction are now beginning to be more widely appreciated. People who live in buildings with low carbon emissions are likely to see their health and well-being improve, and there are noticeable benefits for the construction workers themselves and their employers. Productivity has been shown to increase during the construction of sustainable buildings because work is taking place in a more carbon-free environment. Observing waste management principles of reduce, reuse and recycle means reduction in the cost of production and maintenance of social status of construction.

Also in this connection are the seven (7) principles of sustainable construction, which are: 

Sustainable design: Sustainable design means designing buildings so that they take into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of sustainability, and expressly focus on achieving net zero targets and infrastructure adequacy.

Durability: Choosing materials that will last a long time makes environmental, social and economic sense. Durability is becoming especially important as more and more buildings are retrofitted to make them more sustainable. 

Energy efficiency: Reducing energy consumption and making buildings more energy efficient is a principle that is set to become even more important in construction design. In the UK, the Future Homes Standard, which came into force in 2025, means that every new house is built to produce 75 percent lower emissions than the current energy efficiency standards. 

Waste reduction: Reducing waste does not just mean using recyclable materials and limiting the amount of waste a construction project produces; it also prioritises refurbishment over building from scratch. Demolition and reconstruction is usually far more wasteful than adapting a building that is still standing and retrofitting it.

Indoor air quality: Improving the natural ventilation of buildings is an objective of sustainable design. It can be achieved through the use of wider windows, introduction of plants around buildings, solar chimneys, wind towers and ridge vents, which improve indoor air quality and airflow.

                                                                                                                                           Continues next week.

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