Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos Chapter, Mr Adekunle Salami, said on Thursday that construction of vertical buildings was the solution to the nation’s housing deficit.
Salami made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that with vertical buildings, the limited resources like land and other materials used for building constructions would be maximised.
According to him, vertical buildings are more cost effective, energy-saving and can accommodate large number of people.
“When a vertical building consisting of about 45 to 50 storey is constructed, the benefit is that very little space of land will be used, limited materials will be used and large number of people accommodated.
“In vertical buildings, there is usually one central sewage and the same applies to other facilities used in the course of constructing the building.
“This implies that vertical buildings are less expensive and can save both human and material resources for other purposes,” he said.
Salami added that vertical buildings allowed for social integration such that people living in the building would enjoy high level of mutual relationship and be able to know themselves better.
The NITP boss suggested that the Federal Government should be more `pro-poor’ in its decision now, saying that large number of the citizens found it difficult to eat three square meals per day due to economic hardship.
“For now, all governments’ plans need to be geared toward ensuring the welfare of the masses and possibly restoring economic stability in the country.
“Constructing houses for the masses is a laudable project that will stand the test of time and the citizens will live to attest to it even in many years to come,” he said.
He noted that social housing and vertical buildings were the approach government should adopt to combat the over 17 million housing deficit of the country.
Salami added that such scheme was the solution to housing problem, particularly for a country with an increasing population like Nigeria.
(Source: NAN)