The federal government has announced plans to construct affordable and durable smart homes across the country for low- and middle-income earners, using bamboo as the primary building material.

FG said bamboo with other proven technologies can provide a scalable solution to the housing needs of Nigeria’s growing population without exploitation of the environment.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mrs. Esuabana Nko Asanye, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday added that the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) Technologies, an agency under the ministry, is embarking on solving the diverse needs within Nigeria’s housing sector using green technologies, and that’s include using only bamboo plant for smart houses.

Mrs. Esuabana, who was represented by the Director Environmental Science Technology (EST), Mrs. Benadette Oguche made this statement at a One-Day Capacity Building Workshop on the Relevance of Bamboo for Climate-Smart Housing Construction: Integrating Nigerian Building Road Research Institute (NBRRI) Technologies in Reducing Carbon Footprint, in Abuja.

Esuabana explained that by adopting only bamboo plants for smart houses Nigeria will not only promote environmental sustainability but also ensure that the construction process aligns with principles of adaptability, comfort and affordability for both low and medium income earners in the country.

The Permanent Secretary also stated that she believes that the knowledge gained from the workshop would help overcome the challenges that lie ahead which include high initial capital cost, unstable supply of raw materials among others.