ASSESSMENT OF THE UTILIZATION OF LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS IN JALINGO METROPOLIS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0      INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

Technology is as old as the existence of man on earth. Therefore building is a second need of man after feeding which basically known as shelter. Since shelter is a necessity of man, then technology and science that influence ones environment make man necessary to solve his problems. Since modern building materials are expensive the use of the available local building materials around man’s jurisdiction came into used. The difference in technology and materials use varies from all parts of the global world. Considering the global economic meltdown, gone through these days where Nigeria is to look down upon local building materials for conventional modern building. Materials in the construction industries such as, cement being one of the most commonly used modern building material have manifested the skyrocketing of price because of global economic meltdown. For instance in 2000 50kg bag of cement was sold at the cost N450.00 to about N 2, 000.00 as at 2016. Corrugated aluminum/galvanize roofing sheet have shoot up from N 2, 500.00 per bundle as at January 2011. The values of the Nigeria currency in the world market have drastically depreciated from N 180.00 to €1.00 in the year 2000 but in January 2016 N 450 to €1.00 (pound) with this skyrocketing prices of building materials as a result of a global economic meltdown, most low income earners all the year round have to work extra miles all round, without having house of their own.

It is against this background, that one can see the need of bringing the technological ingenuity of our engineers and scientists, to bring about the adopting and utilization of local available building material that will result in affordable houses for Nigerians in this 21st century.

Consequently, it is the responsibility of the federal government, its parastatals, stakeholders and the construction industries to develop, implement policies and packages to encourage the utilization of locally available building material as a substitude for the building construction industries in large scale (Duggal, 2009).