Land access key to affordable housing, says CORBON

The Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria has called on the government to provide free land to Nigerians to address the issue of affordable housing in the country.

The Chairman of CORBON, Dr Samson Opaluwah, who spoke exclusively to our correspondent, stated, “We would call for the government to take the issue of access to the land of citizens as a critical component of affordable housing. Let people have direct access to land.”

Opaluwah emphasised that the cost of the building was largely affected by the cost of land and imported building materials and that addressing those two issues would significantly reduce the cost of building.

He also highlighted the need for a national programme to address the housing deficit in the country, stating, “Housing is a very basic requirement of man. Next to feeding is housing, food, and shelter.”

“CORBON has been working to promote the adoption of smart technologies in Nigeria’s building industry, including training and capacity building programsme, and has established a training centre to conduct capacity building for builders across the country.”

He stated that the council had also partnered with tech companies, startups, and research institutions to drive innovation in the building sector.

According to the CORBON boss, the council’s long-term goal is to build a house for every Nigerian in Nigeria, with a focus on quality, affordability, and sustainability.

Opaluwah emphasised the need for government support and regulation to achieve that goal, stating, “We want support for regulation. Right now, the development control organisations or planning authorities in most states are not able to visit and enforce their laws on the building sites. We have offered that we can support them.”

He noted that CORBON was committed to addressing the housing challenges in Nigeria and urged the government to provide free land to Nigerians to make housing more affordable and accessible.