HDAN Calls for National Assembly Action on Building Costs

The Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has called for urgent intervention from the National Assembly regarding the escalating costs of building materials in Nigeria. In a policy research report titled "Reducing the High Cost of Building Materials in Nigeria and Across Africa: Towards Affordable Housing, Stronger Local Manufacturing and Sustainable Construction," HDAN warned that these rising costs are pushing homeownership out of reach for millions.

HDAN proposed a 100-day emergency action plan that includes a nationwide review of prices for essential materials such as cement and steel, as well as an examination of manufacturing and distribution costs. Executive Director Festus Adebayo stated that the high cost of construction inputs is a national economic challenge requiring coordinated action.

The organization cited factors like expensive energy, transportation costs, and import dependence as contributors to rising prices. HDAN recommended a comprehensive investigation into the cement and steel markets and proposed measures such as tax reviews, improved energy supply, and the development of manufacturing hubs across Nigeria's geopolitical zones.