‘Cargo containers solution to housing deficit’

• By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie and Peace Fawale

Nigeria’s significant housing deficit, estimated at 20 million affordable housing units, is a monumental challenge, but an innovative solution is emerging from an unexpected source: disused cargo containers. Founder of Kontekture Construction Systems Limited, Oludare Gbenga, highlighted this unconventional approach at a recent online forum on sustainable housing.

Gbenga explained that the high cost of traditional building materials has made decent and safe housing an elusive dream for many Nigerian households. However, Nigeria’s status as a major importing nation means a proliferation of shipping containers, with approximately 350,000 entering the country in 2016 alone.

Many of these are discarded annually due to the high cost of returning them to their origin ports, presenting a readily available and untapped resource for construction.

This innovative repurposing of disused cargo containers into safe, affordable, and sustainable homes, often dubbed “Cargotecture,” offers a tangible path to alleviating the nation’s severe housing shortage, particularly for low-income earners. “By embracing this innovative solution, Nigeria can move closer to its goal of providing decent and affordable housing for its low-income earners, turning disused steel boxes into vibrant communities,” Gbenga stated.

Beyond cost-effectiveness, cargo container homes offer several compelling advantages. “A shipping container home can last up to 25 years, as they are designed to withstand heavy weight and loads and are treated to be corrosion resistant,” Gbenga noted. Furthermore, the use of shipping containers for housing is sustainable, as it is environmentally friendly and utilizes steel that would otherwise be considered waste, thus promoting reuse and recycling. He added that “shipping container houses help more people become homeowners, as the cost of purchasing the containers and modifying them to the owner’s specification costs less than constructing conventional buildings”.

Globally, “cargotecture” has evolved beyond temporary structures, with architects successfully integrating containers into permanent residential and commercial buildings in Europe and Asia.

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For construction, Gbenga emphasised the structural integrity of containers: “A container is a perfectly shaped and placed object. It is difficult to cut through and the maximum amount a container can carry is about 17 kilometres. For the residential building that would be designed, it can be around 6 kilometres per metre.” He further explained, “The advantage of it is that everything is already structured and you can stack as much as possible. The more storey  buildings you want, the more you stack them on each other.”

When stacking, alignment is key for strength. “The alignment of the one below is the same as the one above, so long as you keep stacking containers that way you wouldn’t have a problem and you won’t need to do any additional steel section apart from to join where those containers will meet,” Gbenga advised. However, he cautioned, “Anytime they are not directly stacked on each other, you would need to do additional steel work, creating a steel wall.” He also noted the importance of the corrugated wall: “Place support before cutting the corrugated container because the corrugated wall, the column, the bim below, and the angle on top corrugated rule. All walk together to maintain strength. Anytime you cut the corrugated wall depending on how well you cut it, it will sag.”

Addressing concerns about insulation and fire safety, Gbenga highlighted the use of fiberglass. “Fibreglass prevents heat from getting inside because  it’s placed at the ceiling and it’s better than polystyrene.” Regarding the unfortunate incident at an Abuja gym, he speculated, “The heat travelled the wires that caused the fire and there was furniture around it.” He also pointed out, “Sound insulation value is higher than blocks.”

While the private sector has begun to embrace this innovative approach, Gbenga believes it is crucial for the government to step in and champion the use of this resource towards low-cost housing provision. He concluded that while housing challenges in Nigeria are complex, the reuse of cargo containers offers a viable, sustainable, and increasingly accepted alternative strategy.