The Federal Housing Ministry is evaluating locally built construction machines that may slash costs and streamline affordable housing sparking interest across Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.
Nigeria’s construction sector is at a crossroads. As material prices soar and housing demand spirals, a new wave of homegrown innovation may hold the key to scaling real-estate tech solutions affordably and efficiently.
Arc. Ibechile Christopher Egwudale, Director of Federal Public Assets Maintenance at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, is a seasoned architect and inventor. A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University (B.Sc. and M.Sc. Architecture), he has served in the public sector since 1990. Egwudale has designed machines ranging from brick-making equipment to food-processing tools showcased at national tech exhibitions.
In June 2025, he introduced a suite of manual and semi-automated machines including Compressed Earth Block moulders, pulverisers, mixers, and even ogbono seed cutters at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The machines are engineered to:
- Produce interlocking Earth Blocks using local soil
- Pulverise and sift materials efficiently
- Mix sandcrete for masonry work
- Perform agro-processing tasks (e.g., ogbono seed cutting, hammer milling)
Designed to be scalable, durable, and easy to use, they aim to reduce reliance on imported materials and lower construction costs particularly for the government’s Social Housing Programme.
During the demonstration, Minister Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa praised Egwudale’s ingenuity and urged development of brick prototypes for social housing integration. Permanent Secretary Dr. Shuaib Belgore encouraged further research and called for official evaluation of brick housing unit prototypes, highlighting the innovations as critical to addressing the housing crisis amid escalating material costs.
For Nigeria’s proptech startups, these locally produced machines represent more than hardware they offer a foundation for scalable models in affordable housing, construction automation, and circular economy integration. If deployed widely, they could:
- Accelerate delivery of low-cost housing
- Reduce import exposure and currency risk
- Support micro-entrepreneurs and artisans
- Spark new startups for mass fabrication, maintenance, and training services
As online platforms democratise property development, this hardware innovation becomes a catalyst for digital-first construction startups.
Arc. Egwudale has been tasked with delivering a comprehensive report outlining integration pathways for brick-based construction within the national Social Housing Programme. Formal prototype reviews are imminent, and if successful, these machines may be piloted in upcoming housing projects, marking a critical pilot for public–private collaboration in agritech-meets-proptech solutions.
Talking Points
A Wake-Up Call for Proptech Founders. Let’s be blunt: Nigerian startups love to talk about “disrupting” real estate with apps and platforms — but who’s building the bricks? Arc. Egwudale’s machines might look low-tech, but they’re the missing piece for any proptech founder serious about affordable housing. If startups ignore hardware, they’ll keep digitizing a problem instead of solving it.
Digital Economy Without Infrastructure? A Mirage. The government loves slogans like “Digital Nigeria.” But digital magic doesn’t build walls. Egwudale’s brick moulders and mixers are crucial because you can’t code a house into existence. Until tech innovation includes physical infrastructure, the digital economy in Africa risks being all buzzwords and no shelter.
A Local Solution vs. Import Addiction. Why are we still importing fancy block-making machines from Europe and Asia when an architect right here in Nigeria is designing tools for a fraction of the cost? Supporting Egwudale’s work should be a national priority. Otherwise, we’ll keep draining forex reserves just to build homes we could have constructed with Nigerian ingenuity
