Housing Ministry Director Showcases Innovations for Housing Construction
* minister applauds effort, encourages further research, comparison for possible modification, improvement.
* requests comprehensive report on how to use bricks construction for Social Housing Programme.
Arc. Ibechile Christopher Egwudale, the Director and Head of Department of Federal Public Assets Maintenance (FPAM), in the Housing Ministry, has showcased a variety of inventions/ machines that will bring about cost effectiveness in housing construction.
Egwudale made the presentation to the Honourable Minister, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa and the management staff of the Ministry, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, explaining that, the innovations will minimize construction cost for affordable housing.
The innovative machines include both manual and semi-automated models, designed for scalability, ease of use, and durability.
Among the notable machines were; a wide range of construction and agro-processing equipment such as interlocking Compressed Earth Block (CEB) machines (both manual and automated), pulverizing and sifting machines, compacting and hoisting devices, sandcrete mixers, mini-tractors, ogbono seed cutters, and food processing machines like the hammer mill, de-stoner, and mixers.
"This innovation supports the use of locally sourced materials, reducing dependence on expensive imported products and minimizing construction cost especially for affordable housing" he stated.
He further explained that, the idea behind the development is to create a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient alternative to conventional building materials by utilizing Compressed Earth Block (CEB) technology.
"Their application in the housing sector will not only promote sustainable construction practices but also generate local employment, empower artisans, and accelerate project delivery timelines across rural and urban areas", he remarked.
In his remarks, the Minister applauded the effort of the Director for bringing innovative ideas in designing different machines for bricks housing construction.
While encouraging the Director to carry out further research and make comparison to see areas of modification and improvement, Dangiwa also requested him to come up with extensive and comprehensive report on how to use bricks construction for Social Housing Programme.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Belgore applauded the efforts of the Director for coming up with the innovative ideas, and encouraged him to continue to strive towards achieving the desired objectives to get affordable social housing. He requested him to bring up the designs of the bricks housing units to the ministry for assessment.
Arc. Egwudale, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria, had a specialized training in Compressed Earth Block (CEB) Technology in South Africa.
Since joining the Federal Civil Service, he has distinguished himself through innovative design and technological advancement. He has championed several high-impact projects and won multiple design competitions within the Ministry.
He notably designed and produced four machines for the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI), and has won the Best New Entrant Award at Archi-Built Exhibition where he attracted the highest visitor traffic to his stand.
Egwudale has participated in numerous exhibitions, including the Abuja Housing Show, and the Science and Technology Expositions where he showcased a variety of inventions including a go-kart (buggy) and various machines.
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