Bamboo trees rescue home owners trying to raise their building pillars

With the cost of fuel or diesel rising to record levels came the cascading effect on transportation, and therefore building materials.

Ayodele Johnson March 18, 2024

1 minute read

One time, a tree of fairly-used bamboo used to go for ₦200, but the new price has shot up to ₦900 based on the increasing demand.

Costly iron rods needed to raise the pillars of newly-constructed buildings have led to further burdens for real estate investors already contending with the strain of high cement prices to deal with. To get around the steepness, builders are instead opting for bamboo when starting out a new construction project.

Bamboo can also do the job of an iron rods to an extent, says building engineer Mr. Andrew Asaga.

Some [people] now use only bamboo for the pillars. Some mix bamboo with iron rods for the decking to save cost. Others now use only bamboo for decking.

An iron rod costs between ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 depending on the size. This was twice the price it was sold for last year, he told Vanguard.

Extraordinarily pricey goods became a wholesale concern after President Bola Tinubu stopped petrol subsidies last May. His announcement immediately led to filling stations dispensing fuel at ₦617/litre compared to ₦198 the initial price.

ALSO READ: FG and manufacturers agree that cement won’t go beyond ₦8000 for now

With the cost of fuel or diesel rising to record levels came the cascading effect on transportation, and therefore building materials. This is why landlords are asking their project managers or site engineers to mix things up.

Experts have noted the consequence of high cement prices. One of these is a reduction in the quality of building materials like concrete which could easily and negatively revert to more properties with little integrity.

By mixing things up, it means the builders will make use of both iron rods and bamboo to derive positive outcomes in their view.

If the housing authorities were hoping to enforce strict adherence to the best building standards, their efforts look like they are not holding water as contractors are looking out for the best way to save too much cost for their clients.

Now the shadow of overpriced goods has reached bamboo too, according to Fatimetu Momoh who trades in the business. One time, a tree of fairly-used bamboo used to go for ₦200, but the new price has shot up to ₦900 based on the increasing demand.

Those supplying the bamboo are complaining of logistics and levies paid on the road.

This is not something we import. Or do we start importing bamboo?

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.