The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has declared plans to establish a committee aimed at addressing the alarming surge in the prices of cement and other building materials.
He disclosed this during a meeting with cement and building materials manufacturers held at the Ministry’s headquarters recently in Abuja.
Expressing grave concern over the unprecedented escalation in prices, Dangiwa emphasized the detrimental impact on housing delivery and the construction industry. He stated, “An increase in essential building materials means an increase in the prices of houses.”
The Minister underscored the urgent need for intervention to prevent the crisis from thwarting the government’s housing agenda. He stressed, “This situation has worsened in the past two weeks, with the price of a bag of cement in some parts of the country reported to be as high as over N10,000.”
Dangiwa acknowledged the macroeconomic challenges facing the nation but deemed the disproportionate rise in cement prices unacceptable. He reiterated, “Key input materials such as limestone, clay, silica sand, and gypsum within our borders should not be dollar-rated.”
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Furthermore, Dangiwa outlined ongoing initiatives, including the formation of task teams dedicated to sector reform and the establishment of building materials manufacturing hubs across the country. He emphasized, “These initiatives underscore our commitment to promoting affordability and accessibility in the sector.”
In a related development, stakeholders in the cement industry have expressed solidarity with the government’s efforts to address the crisis. Mr. Adekunle Adewale, spokesperson for the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (CMAN), stated, “We are fully supportive of the government’s initiative to tackle the soaring prices of cement and other building materials.”
The Minister’s remarks underscore a concerted effort by the government and industry stakeholders to mitigate the adverse effects of soaring building material prices, ensuring the realization of affordable housing for all Nigerians.
