FG to introduce climate-smart standards in national building code

By Taiwo Scholarstica

The Federal Government has said the ongoing review of the National Building Code will introduce climate-smart construction standards, energy efficiency requirements and disaster-risk reduction measures aimed at making buildings across the country safer, more resilient and environmentally sustainable.

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Darma, disclosed this on Thursday at the National Kick-off Workshop for the Development of the National Decarbonization and Resilience Roadmap for Nigeria’s Buildings and Construction Sector in Abuja.

Represented by the Ministry’s Director of Urban and Regional Development, Mrs. Margaret Adejobi, the Minister said the revised building code would play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions from Nigeria’s built environment while improving the safety, durability and overall performance of buildings nationwide.

According to him, the revised code will incorporate climate-smart construction standards, sustainable building materials, resilient design principles, energy efficiency requirements and disaster-risk reduction measures.

He explained that the review forms part of broader reforms by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to align Nigeria’s housing and construction sector with global climate commitments and sustainable urban development goals.

Darma reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to meeting Nigeria’s obligations under the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the New Urban Agenda and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

“The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is playing its part by driving policies and programmes that promote sustainable urbanisation, resilient infrastructure, climate-responsive housing and low-carbon development pathways,” he said.

The minister noted that Nigeria’s rapid urbanisation makes it necessary to rethink how cities and buildings are planned, designed and managed to support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.

He disclosed that, beyond reviewing the National Building Code, the ministry had secured Federal Executive Council approval for the revised National Urban Development Policy, initiated a National Policy on Rural Settlement Planning and Development and was finalising National Physical Planning Standards to promote sustainable land use and resilient cities.

Darma also said the ministry was implementing climate-responsive housing under the Renewed Hope Estates and Cities Initiative, with designs aimed at reducing energy consumption, improving thermal comfort and minimising environmental impact. He added that resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding extreme weather events was also being incorporated into new housing projects.

The minister urged stakeholders to support the nationwide adoption and enforcement of the revised building code. He also called for increased green financing for affordable housing, greater local production of climate-resilient building materials and the establishment of a National Urban Observatory to promote evidence-based planning.

Earlier, Chairman of the National Multistakeholder Working Group for Decarbonized and Resilient Buildings, Tpl. Grace Bitrus, described the roadmap as a transformative initiative that would reshape Nigeria’s construction sector in response to climate change.

She said Nigeria’s rapidly growing urban population presents a unique opportunity to embrace low-carbon, energy-efficient and climate-resilient construction practices, noting that many of the buildings expected to exist by 2050 are yet to be built.

Bitrus stressed that achieving the roadmap’s objectives would require strong collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, professional bodies, academia, financial institutions and development partners, adding that no single institution could transform the country’s buildings sector alone.