By Olusegun Olanrewaju, with agency report
Artisans and unskilled labourers in Ibadan have cried out over the implications of the skyrocketing prices of cement on their livelihood.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hike in prices of cement has affected several sectors of the economy, including construction, sending most people out of business.
Some of the artisans and unskilled labourers, who spoke with NAN in Ibadan yesterday, lamented that the high cost of cement was denying them of earning their daily bread, as they were now practically out of jobs.
This came as a real estate developer, Mr Yusuf Odumade, called on the Federal Government to intervene in the rising costs of building materials to encourage the private sector to bridge the gap in the nationwide housing deficits, especially in Lagos State.
A bricklayer, Mr Sunday Odeh, said he had been at home since the sudden increase in the price of cement to N12,000 per bag from its initial N5,500.
“The engineer I work with shortly before the sudden increase bought 50 bags of cement at N5,500. After exhausting the cement at the site, he discovered that the price had jumped to N10,000; since then, things have changed.
“The engineer has been lamenting the sudden increase, saying he could not add extra money to get a new supply of the commodity without the consent of the property owner.
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“He came back to inform us that the property owner had refused to add more money for the job, thereby, putting a temporary stop to the project and he has asked the workers to stay at home until the price is reduced.
“But, to provide for my family and make ends meet, I have decided to use my motorcycle for commercial purposes,” Odeh said.
A mother of four, Mrs Ayoka Alani, who usually joins other labourers at Mobil bus stop, Ring Road, Ibadan, for a daily job at building sites, decried the sudden hike in cement price, saying that this had put a stop to their daily bread.
Alani said that most site engineers could not afford to buy cement again, among other products needed to work at sites.
“Times are so hard now. This is the second week that I have been coming here to look for bricklayers that will need us for labour, but no one seems to be coming for our services. I’m not alone here; we are many waiting for bricklayers to call us for work.
“Before now, the bricklayers might request for two, four, or six labourers but now, they will just pick one or two of us and worst still, at ridiculous amount. The rest will just sit down here, and when they wait till around noon and no one comes for them, they will go back home, to converge the following day,” she said.
Alani decried the hike in cement prices and other building materials, saying that it was having a telling effect on their job as site workers, adding, “Our survival seems to have been put on hold, for now.”
A block moulder, Mr Andrew Ayodele, said that his business had also been seriously affected by the high cost of cement.
To Ayodele, work is not going well due to a cement price increase which has resulted in the prices of blocks and its attendant low patronage from customers.
“The owner of the block industry I worked with recently laid off its workers due to low patronage, saying that he might call us back if sales improved.
“Since the cement price increase, prices of blocks have also increased. A nine-inch block is now N700, while a culvert now sells for N17,000,” he said.
A tipper driver, Mr Bamidele Aina, said that the development had also affected his business, as most construction sites now experienced low patronage since cement prices had increased.
“There is a low demand for sand and gravel now, unlike before.
“Our major marketers are the block-making industry and big companies, but since the sudden rise in prices of cement, among other construction materials, every other sector has been equally affected.
*Reduce building materials cost to address housing deficit, realtor tells FG
Meanwhile, a real estate developer said the Federal Government’s intervention would encourage the private sector to bridge the gap in the nationwide housing deficits, especially in Lagos State.
Odumade, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Darryl Homes Nigeria Limited, said the intervention has become imperative as many developers have halted their projects in the hope of a rapid decrease in material prices.
Recently, the cost of iron rods, roofing sheets, and other materials got to an all-time high with a bag of 50 kilogramme of cement selling for as high as N15,000.
Odumade, whose Camden Court series 1-3 fully detached five-bedroom duplexes in the Lekki Palm City area was recently unveiled, noted that several real estate developers have had to halt their projects, adding that the construction industry was currently facing unprecedented challenges.
He said, “Many developers have halted their projects in the hopes of a rapid decrease in material prices. Prices have surged, with some materials seeing nearly a 100 per cent increase.
“For instance, the cost of a ton of iron TMT jumped from N490 in November/December 2023 to N1400 in the Lekki corridor. Cement prices have also soared, reaching as high as N13,000 per bag or more in some areas.
“Market dynamics have become erratic, with fluctuating prices throughout the day and even from one day to the next. Urgent government intervention is needed to address this crisis and stabilise the economy, realising the aspirations of a better Nigeria for all.”
Speaking on bridging the gap on housing deficit in a mega city like Lagos, he said that in the private sector, the key to bridging the housing deficit lies in reducing material costs to enable developers to resume their projects.
“Currently, many developers are idle, unable to afford the high prices of materials. This situation highlights the struggle faced by businesses in Nigeria, where the “buy low, sell high” principle doesn’t always apply, and leaving many in a state of uncertainty,” he added.
He, however, commended the state government for making efforts to address the housing challenges.
“Recently, there have been reports of substantial funds allocated to the housing ministry, amounting to billions of naira,” he said.
