Evaluation of Affordable Climate-Smart Homes in Nigeria : Barriers and Strategies.

Abstract

Sustainable housing has gained massive traction globally due to the inherent advantage of lowering carbon footprints; and despite its successes in most advanced countries of the world, there is a paucity of research and projects in developing nations. Existing literature indicates the predominant use of traditional/convectional construction materials and methods in Nigeria with its attendant unsustainable impacts. The foregoing situation is made worse by rapid urbanization coupled with government apathy, leaving the urban poor to live in informal settlements and shanties. This study aims to explore the strategies and barriers to integrating sustainable practices into the housing sector, with a focus on affordability. The methodological approach combined quantitative data collection through a structured questionnaire and qualitative insights from literature review of case studies. Questionnaires were distributed using Google Forms to professionals in the AEC industry in Nigeria, one hundred and eight (108) responses were retrieved from the respondents and utilized for the analysis. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft excel were employed to analyse the questionnaires using frequency distribution tables, sample t-test, mean item score, Cronbach alpha test and Kolmogorov test.

The findings reveal a high level of awareness of sustainable homes by the respondents (80%), however 60% believe that these homes are not readily available or affordable. 85% of the respondents believe that high initial cost ranks highest amongst the barriers to climate smart homes. Public-private partnership came out as the number one strategy followed closely by green mortgage programs then finally sustainable urban planning. The foregoing implies that a holistic approach in tandem with all relevant stakeholders is expedient if any meaningful results are to be achieved. From this study some major obstacles towards adoption of climate-smart homes in Nigeria have been identified such as high initial costs, lack of regulatory incentives, limited awareness among others. Lastly, the study proposed strategies to overcoming these barriers such as financial incentives, public awareness campaigns, and the integration of sustainable materials and technologies tailored to the Nigerian context.