The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has concluded plans to construct 90 homes in the North-Eastern region of the country.
This is part of the oil and gas industry’s contributions towards rebuilding areas that were devastated by the activities of the Boko Haram sect.
The Board is using the ‘Down To Earth’ (D2E) model in the intervention and is set to acquire two Hydraulic Compressed Earth Block (HCEB) Oskam machines, to be used in molding blocks from clay. The blocks will be used to erect the homes and they will have utilities, medical center, school and community gardens.
Mr. Abdulmalik Halilu, General Manager, Corporate Services and Logistics and NCDMB lead on the intervention, said the Board will train youths from the region on the use of the HCEB machines as a strategy of creating employment.
Halilu added that the Board had conducted a detailed study of the HCEB machine and found that it is very durable. “The usage is simple and it takes just a month to train operators. Buildings erected with clay blocks could vary in design, in accordance with usage, culture and community acceptance,”
Another key project undertaken by the Board include the Fair Chance Initiative, under which 107 internally displaced persons will be trained on different crafts and some of them engaged in the construction of the 90 homes. The trainees will be provided with starter packs and linked to the virtual market.
NCDMB will also construct a vocational center and deworm and administer Vitamin A supplements to 50,000 primary school children in the six North Eastern states.
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There is a former class mate of mine,Arch Prof Segun Idowu, based in Adamawa state ,who also lectures there. He supervised the fabrication of machines locally for block and brick making, and they have built several prototype houses. They are within the ecosystem there and have trained hundreds of artisans on those machines. It may be more productive to integrate his team in this effort to build houses in the North East. Prof Segun is an Alumnus of OAU Ile – Ife, and was the best graduating student in his class in 1988. He served in Adamawa state after his MSc program and has remained there since.