‘Proposed demolition of mud houses will phase out indigenous technology’

An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert, Mr Jide Awe,  has said that the Federal Government’s proposal to demolish mud houses would amount to phasing out the country’s indigenous technology, if implemented.

Awe, who is the Chairman, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) Conferences Committee, made the assertion while speaking with newsmen, on Sunday, in Lagos.

Awe was speaking against the backdrop of a statement credited to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, that the Federal Government was planning to demolish mud houses across the country.

It was learnt that the minister made the statement on July 9 when he visited the Nigerian Buildings and Road Research Institute, Nnewi in Anambra State.

Onu was quoted as saying that a research was ongoing that would facilitate the influx of cheap building materials in the country to enable Nigerians build decent and affordable houses.

“The mud houses  in some parts of the country reflect the country’s indigenous technology even though it is not suitable for the 21st century.

“It is our heritage, a result of the creativity of indigenous people and as such should be preserved.

“There is need to improve on it with what we see on the internet so that we can benefit from it and not just discard it as something that is useless.

“Demolishing the houses will amount to phasing out the historical benefits attached to them,’’ the ICT expert said.