Building materials are essential components used for construction of all types. It plays a major role in the development of a city, particularly in the area of housing development and supply which in turn improves the economy. The main benefactors of building materials are the sellers, labourers (the artisans, masons, etc.) and all other major real estate players in the construction industry.
This is better appreciated when the living standard of people is high, what this means is that people can easily afford building materials. When the prices of materials are above the citizen’s financial capacity, there is usually a drop in the purchase of building materials which on the other hand impacts the sellers and labourers.
The fewer the purchase of building materials, the fewer the buildings constructed which also translates to fewer labour jobs in building sites, the ordinary man on the street may find it difficult to secure comfortable accommodation to rent because of the shortage of property, so everyone is affected one way or another. This tells the role that building materials play in today’s world.
Building material markets are scattered all over Nigeria although strategically sited in locations accessible by all but distant from residential neighbourhoods, this is due to the huge traffic and pollution caused daily.
The need to either build, renovate or convert houses is the reason behind the busy building material markets which sell sand, cement (Dangote, ibeto, Eagle etc.), water, granites and stones (sandstone, marble, slate, basalt, rock etc.), asphalt, bitumen, laterites, wood (hard, soft etc.), iron/rodes (galvanized, stainless, alloy etc.), paints (oil, silk, emulsion etc.), glasses, roofing materials (Aluminum, Corrugated Iron Roofing sheet), plumbing materials, concrete, ceiling materials (Plaster Of Paris, Poly Vinyl Chloride, Asbestos, hard board, wooden, etc.) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) especially the ones located in major urban areas.
Recommended Building Material Markets in Some Parts of Nigeria.
| Location | Materials Sold |
| New Kenyatta Market, Along Enugu Port Harcourt Express Road, Enugu | Roofing sheets, plumbing materials, laterites, paints, household furniture, cooking utensils, toiletries, flowers etc. |
| Timber, Ugwuaji, Enugu | Plywood, rods, paints, furniture, indoor decoration equipment etc. |
| Odunade Market, Mile 2, Lagos | Tiles, plumbing materials, electrical fittings, rods, plywood etc. |
| Building material market, Old Aba Road, Port Harcourt | Timber, household equipment, plumbing materials, cement, blocks, roofing members etc. |
| Enyimba Timber Market, Aba | Glasses, Geepee tanks, tank stands, electrical appliances, furniture, plywood, ceiling, etc. |
| Building material markets along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Onitsha, Anambra | Stones, windows, doors, roofing sheets, toilet fittings, ceramic tiles, marbles, wood, ceiling etc. |
| Abakaliki Building material market, Ebonyi State | Geepee tanks, roofing materials, plumbing materials, chippings, blocks, timber, rods etc. |
| Building materials at Iwo Road, Ibadan | Paints, home accessories, electrical materials and appliances, plumbing fittings etc. |
| Building materials international market, Nkpor | Porcelain, glasses, mosaic, metal, ceramic materials, decoration materials, swimming pool tools, tiles and roofing sheets. |
| Building materials market, Akure | Household equipment, electronics, plumbing materials, lighting fittings and equipment, cement, blocks, roofing members, solar panels etc. |
| Abuja building materials market | Tanks, plumbing materials etc. |
| Dei Dei Building Material Markets, Abuja, FCT | Glasses, sand, Geepee tanks, tank stands, chippings, electrical appliances, furniture, plywood, keys, iron pipes, ceiling, wood and iron frames etc. |
| Panteka Market, Kaduna | Indoor equipment, kitchen utensils, toiletries, rod, cement, sand etc. |
| Building materials market, Jos | Cement, rods, sand, stones, chippings, electronics, furniture, flowers etc. |
| Owerri Municipal Line, Timber | Plastic equipment, furniture, sand, cement, wood, roofing sheets, lighting fittings, interior decoration tools, electronics etc. |
| Chinedu Oko Building Material Market, Asaba | Water tanks, plumbing materials, aluminium materials, tiles, stones, sand, paint, furniture, outdoor equipment etc. |
Challenges of Building Material Markets in Nigeria
Bad Road: The major roads that lead customers to the building material markets are typically in a bad state of repairs. Perhaps, because of the incessant vehicular traffic which sometimes leads to traffic jams. The lack of road maintenance by the government impacts hugely on the road disasters along building material roads in Nigeria, perfect examples are the Kenyatta market in Enugu, the Eyimba Timber market in Aba, Abia State, the building material market, Akure and many more.
Insecurity: The rising state of insecurity in the markets has put shop owners in fear of losing their goods to thieves who are believed to have insider informants within the market space. Despite the engagement of local vigilantes to watch over building materials at night, items like rods, bags of cement, plywood, electrical wires, and sand go missing virtually every night.
Poor Drainage System: The poor drainage system in most building material markets is the cause of flooding during a heavy downpour. Because the gutters are not deep enough to collect and distribute rainwater efficiently, water floods out from the gutters into the streets and sweeps off many building materials, especially sand and stones and destroys electronics beyond repairs.
Fire Outbreaks: The latest fire outbreaks in several markets in Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Abuja and Jos have brought lots of concern to shop owners who are fear gripped as they don’t know who the next victim will be. Fire outbreaks have been the major cause of loss of building materials in Nigeria.
Inferior Materials: Some of the materials sold to builders are fake, while it the sellers may not be faulted, the customs officials who allowed or cleared such items without verifying are to share the blame. The importers of the fake items are the main culprits of this crime. The result of selling fake materials has contributed to the rising cases of litigations between buyers and sellers.
Outrageous Taxes: The amount of taxation imposed by the local tax force, particularly the touts employed to collect monies from sellers for the space that they occupy has a ripple effect on the prices of items sold in the market. If the tax collection rises, the sellers add the loss to their product to augment available capital for re-stocking.
Government Policies: The policies that the government makes can either make or mar building material products. The harsher the policies, the more unlikely the products would easily sail through in the open market. Policies are meant to improve the economy which is supposed to positively affect the common man, but when this is not so, people suffer.
Inflation: The current high inflation rate is a major cause of the rise in building materials that has escalated to the abandonment of real estate developments in the country. The more the Naira devaluates the more expensive it becomes to import and more builders with specific budgets may fall short of resources to complete their building projects. Others who buy inferior materials cheaper put potential residents at risk of the eventual building collapse when the materials used fail to perform as expected.
Inadequate Electricity: Poor power supply is a major setback to shop owners in the Nigerian building markets. The sellers exhaust their profits on fuel/diesel and generator maintenance, thereby further reducing their standards of living and forcing the prices of goods to climb up.
Inadequate Space: The poor planning of the building materials market is occasioned by a jam-packed arrangement system where adequate space is not allowed for either parking vehicles or loading goods. Inadequate organization of the market has led to buyers’ missing their way on subsequent visits, they may not easily locate and patronize their preferred sellers because of the jam-packed clusters of shops and stores.
Exorbitant Rents: The higher the rents for a shop in building material markets the higher the cost of goods sold or services rendered. People tend to pay more in shops that pay much higher rent than smaller shops or hawkers.