Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Works and Housing Minister
The government is considering the use of locally manufactured building materials in its housing projects across the country.
This is expected to promote the use of local content, create jobs and support private sector investment.
During a meeting with officials of the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) in Accra, the Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, expressed hope that the cost of local materials will not be as expensive as the foreign materials imported into the country.
“With huge deposits of clay across various parts of the country, we should be able to take advantage and encourage the production of burnt bricks and pozzolana cement in large volumes,” the Minister said.
Mr Asenso-Boakye further disclosed that engaging local manufacturers will also create jobs for citizens and promote private sector investment, thereby reducing the rate of unemployment in the country.
The meeting focused on deliberations towards promoting and utilizing locally sourced raw materials which government intends to use in the construction of affordable housing projects at both district and national levels.
Background
The Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) is part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and has a mandate to provide research to the building and road sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
BRRI was set up in 1952 as the West African Building Research Institute (WABRI) in Accra to test imported building materials. In 1960, WABRI was renamed Building Research Institute, under the then Ghana Academy of Sciences. In 1963, the Institute was moved to the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The Institute’s mandate was expanded to include road research in 1964. Through researchers from a wide professional spectrum, the Institute has successfully carried out its research activities in the building environment, as well as in the area of road safety management to support the socio-economic development of Ghana.
The Institute’s research activities are undertaken by five technical and three non-technical divisions. The technical divisions are: Building Materials Development, Construction, Geotechnical Engineering; Structures, Planning and Design; and Traffic and Transportation. The three non-technical divisions are: Administration, Communication and Information and Finance.
