Cost of building a house in Nigeria: Five million naira go build two bedroom flat today? Experts respond

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

How much e be to build a house in Nigeria today? Dis na one of di questions pipo dey ask afta one builder begin trend for social media wen e say im fit build two bedroom apartment wit five million naira (N5,000,000,000).

Di builder, Abraham MacHills post for im Twitter account on Sunday, July 9 say “Wit 5M, I go build dis 2 bedroom house for you, if you don already get land.” E add di foto of di house for di post.

Di tweet gada plenty comments and reactions from building experts, pipo wey get knowledge about cost of building materials and Nigerians wey don build house or dey intend to build house.

As some claim say e dey possible, odas say e no dey possible to build house wit N5m inside dis current Nigeria economy.

Wia dis foto come from, Twiiter post

Wia dis foto come from, Twitter post

To know how much e go cost to build house for Nigeria based on di current economy, BBC Pidgin follow some building experts tok.

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Di General Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Building, Builder Adelaja Adekanmi tok say e no dey possible to build two bedroom house wit N5m sake of di rising cost of building materials.

However, e tok say if di pesin wan do mass production, like build 1,000 units of two bedroom flats, e go dey possible as e go buy building materials in bulk and e go also manage im waste.

“N5m no fit build house, make di pesin go price how much dem dey sell tiles, WC, POP, Cement, only if di pesin wan build house wey animals dey live but if di pesin wan build modest house wey pipo dey use, N5m no fit build am.

“For house wey dem dey call home, wey go dey according to international standard, habitual house wey human being fit live, N5m naira no go reach,” Mr Adelaja add.

Anoda expert, wey be di former executive member of di Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) Muhammad Saad, say e depend on di type of di material, di size of di building, di methodology of di construction, if na wet or dry construction plus di kain finishing materials di builder go use for di building.

E add say to build a modest and decent two bedroom flat for Nigeria wit di current economy reality, e no dey certain say N5m go reach to build two bedroom apartment only if di builder go use alternate materials and low cost electrical and plumbing materials for di house.

“If na purely brick building or burnt brick (red brick) e dey possible, as di builder go minimize cost of painting and plastering. E fit use timber instead of tile, less use of iron rods, wood/dry wall for demarcation, etc.

As di mata dey gada momentum for social media space, BBC Pidgin follow di builder wey make di viral post Abraham Mac-Hill tok on di possibility of building a 2 bedroom apartment wit N5m.

Di builder clear di air say first of all na small house wey sit on a minimum of 250sqmts land, e say e dey possible to build am wit N5m in as much as di land no dey for water area.

E add say im no go use inferior materials as some pipo bin comment for im post and e go depend on direct labour and according to do pesin money.

“No inferior quality, na according to your money. Inferior granite dey, inferior sand, inferior cement dey? E ask, we go only tok of inferior quality wen e get to door and dat one sef no be inferior na according to your money.” E tok.

On di kain building materials e go use and how to achieve di N5m building cost, oga Abraham tok say na wit di use of direct labour, di pesin no go need contract engineer.

"You go rent machine, buy cement, sand and mould di block yourself, about 2,300 blocks go reach and wit dat you don reduce about 40% of di cost you go take buy ready-made. All di windows wey dey di house, no go pass N175,000 and na sliding window no be basement."

On if di price of di 2 bedroom apartment differ wit environment; oga Abraham tok say wetin im dey do na to first do feasibility study, e explain say im go find wia dem dey sell building materials wey dey close to di site and buy everytin wey im need at once keep for site, instead of to dey buy anytime di need arise as e go increase di cost of transportation.

Pipo dey say di house no go be di same as wetin dem see for foto, oga Abraham clear am say e go be di exact same tin wit di house wey dey di foto.

"Di house go get roof, ceiling, burglary, window, di only tin wey e no go get na furniture and interior decorations" e tok.

E add say pipo wey im dey target na young pipo wey get money and dey use am buy expensive gadgets and phone, wey no sabi say dem fit invest di money wisely for building project.

BBC Pidgin no fit ascertain if di builder na professional or not.

But from im social media post, Abraham Mac-Hill describe imself as Builder wit Valley-Hill Constructions.

Sharp sand and granite

Oga Adelaja add say di money pesin go soend to build go depend on di area wia di pesin wan build di house.

Dis na because di cost of building materials vary on di location and environment.

E say for areas like Mowe, Ibafo, Ijebu-ode, Sagamu, Epe, all those areas, wit N7m, pesin go fit build decent and modest two bedroom house but if na area like for Lagos, pesin go need to get up to N10m to build dat kain house.

E add say for houses like three bedrooms, duplex and oda big houses, e put di price range between 15-25m naira.

Meanwhile, oga Saad wey be building expert dey of di position say, wit N10-12m pesin go fit build a decent and modest two bedroom apartment for Nigeria, dat na if di pesin go handle am imself but if you go hire professional wey go give you di technical know-how, e go be within 12-15m excluding land.

E say for area like Abuja di price pass dis one as two bedroom apartment fit cost reach 15m and for duplex, e fit cost like N400 - N450m.

Di founder of Jarus homes, Suraj Oyewale wey dey into real estate firm bin do breakdown of di cost of some of di building materials dem go use build dat kain two bedroom apartment wey di foto for im Twitter post.

But e caution say dis price fit dey overestimated.

Anoda twitter user, @mistervosa post di breakdown of prices of products to build di house wey im developer send to am.

Iron rod: 12m - 1 ton na N500,000

10mm Iron rod for ring : 250k

Granite to take cast lintel go cost – N300k

Sharp sand - N120k for 5 trips

Plaster sand - N69k for 2 trips

Workmanship bricklayer for plastering – N300k

Window wit burglary - N56k per one

Tiling – N1.25m

Tiling and tiler workmanship - N400k

Water borehole – N250k

GP tank – N56k

Ceiling of building (slate ) - N700k

Kitchen cabinet - N550k

Electrical wiring, electrical pipping, electrical fittings - N1.850m

Plumbing pipes – N450k

Sanitary wares – N320k

Carpenter workmanship for roof – N100k

Carpenter workmanship for lintel and columns - N120k

Bricklayer 2500 blocks x 80 naira

Blocks 2500 pieces x N500

Cement for all works: 300 bags xN5000 = N1.5m

Ceiling (external) - N350k

Handrail and window wool – N420K

Doors external – N180k per one

Door internal – N67k per one

Foundation digging, foundation laterite filling labour - N550k