Nigerian developers risk paying more over the life of a building by prioritising cheaper construction materials over durability, industry experts have warned, as rising project costs push builders to seek savings at the procurement stage.
The call was made at the sixth edition of Big 5 Construct Nigeria, held from September 22 to 24 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, where industry professionals discussed construction costs, material selection, sustainability, and the commercial viability of modern building solutions.
The event brought together more than 170 exhibitors from over 20 countries, including Germany, India, Spain, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, showcasing solutions spanning building materials, heavy machinery, HVACR, MEP systems, tools, and adhesives.
During one of the Big 5 Talks sessions on fit-out and finishes, speakers said developers need to consider material performance, durability, sustainability, and the intended use of a building from the early stages of design and procurement.
Abimbola Onagbade, Head of CDK Integrated Industries Ltd., said the focus on initial price can obscure the actual cost of owning and maintaining a property.
‘Value is the lowest sensible whole life cost, not the lowest initial price,’ Onagbade said.
He said developers sometimes spend heavily on land and construction but become reluctant to spend relatively small additional amounts on better-quality finishing materials.
‘You build, you buy a property, or you buy land of 100 million, you build a structure of 200 million, and then you are arguing over a tile of 3,000, 5,000 thereabout,’ he said.
According to Onagbade, repeated replacement of cheaper materials can ultimately make them more expensive.
‘A lot of times, we buy products that one year, two years, or three years after that we have to replace. Whereas you just buy, spend a little bit more, and buy a product that will last you 15 or 20 years further down the line,’ he said.
The speakers said the same principle should apply to material choices made during the design process, rather than waiting until construction reaches the finishing stage.
‘At the point of ideation, your flooring solution is also very critical. So you should think through that from the onset,’ Onagbade explained.
He further stressed that developers should understand material performance before using cost-cutting measures.
‘Developers need to understand material performance so that they can use that to inform their decisions when they’re buying and engineering downwards.’
The discussion also linked construction decisions to sustainability, with speakers urging developers to consider environmental and economic factors alongside cost.
‘It hinges on three pillars: economics, environment, and society,’ said Victor Fabunmi, Programmes Manager, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria).
Fabunmi said developers should consider energy efficiency, carbon footprint, waste management, water use, and the environmental impact of materials when planning projects.
Speakers also encouraged greater use of locally available materials and suppliers where they meet required standards, saying early planning can help developers assess quality, availability, and cost before construction begins.
Big 5 Construct Nigeria also featured more than 30 free-to-attend, CPD-certified Big 5 Talks sessions covering project management, architecture and design, technology, sustainable building materials, and façades.
Organised by Dmg Events, the three-day exhibition provided a platform for construction professionals to connect with suppliers and decision-makers as the sector grapples with rising project costs and growing demand for more sustainable building practices.