Professor Uphie Chinje, General Manager of the Local Materials Promotion Authority,

MIPROMALO suggests that too much use of cement could compromise COP 21 objectives…

Professor, what is the exact situation of the local materials sector, especially its potential in the construction of houses in Cameroon and with special regard to the various government projects in promoting low-cost housing?

The local materials sector is one that fits squarely into the aspirations of the Head of State for Cameroon to become an emerging economy as elaborated in the Growth and Employment Strategy (DSCE) of the government. The local materials sector (especially the use of bricks, stones and wood) is the oldest in the construction industry as structures built in the German era still constitute landmark buildings in the country today.

Unfortunately, this was plagued by the introduction of unstandardized cement blocks (employing cement from imported clinker that is simply crushed and packaged by foreign factories in Cameroon, despite the fact that local resources for clinker–clay and limestone – abound locally) and local materials are struggling to resurface. It is worth noting that although cement has an inevitable structural role in the housing construction industry, it is one of the most unecological materials, producing huge amounts of CO₂ into the atmosphere, consequently against COP 21 environmental objectives.

On the potential of using local materials for the construction of houses in Cameroon, permit me use an excerpt from Circular N° 002/CAB/PM of March 12^th 2007 relating to the use of local materials in the construction of public buildings “…several years after the government put in place measures expressing its will to promote the use of local materials, the results have remained below expectations, despite the fact that raw materials abound, skilled labour exists and several actors are present in the sector.”The low usage of local materials has as consequences among others, a chronic deficiency in the balance of trade due to huge importations and limited economic growth and low job creation, with its corollary which is to maintain the dependence of our country on the exterior.

A recent World Bank study of the housing sector in Cameroon indicates over 90% houses are a result of auto – construction (resulting in lack of coordination, quality and architectural harmony), not by organized Housing Development Structures. Government’s 10,000 social (low–cost) housing programme launched since 2003 as well as the recent emergency housing programme are finding difficulties with the involvement of Cameroonian contractors (SMEs) to build the houses. The government now relies principally on foreign companies at preferential costs – unfortunately, some of these companies are to build houses in the tropics with imported metallic (container related) materials.

Several years into its functioning, how has MIPROMALO fared in its mission and what do you think must be done to make it a veritable and unavoidable structure in carrying out mass housing projects?

MIPROMALO’s mission is to promote locally produced materials to reduce the cost of nation building with mandate to research on natural materials and their transformation techniques, produce and use these (construction) materials, train Cameroonians, accompany enterprises on low–cost constructions and participate in introducing these materials in Cameroonian architectural landscape.

MIPROMALO’s engineers, researchers and technicians already have a good mastery of several technologies that are used in our pilot small–scale industrial and artisan construction materials production units. Most of these materials have been used in construction projects in all ten regions. These materials include compressed earth blocks, fired bricks, dimension stones, micro–concrete roof tiles, granite–concrete floor tiles, solar energy dried wood as well as pottery and fine ceramics for internal housing needs. Over 5000 Cameroonians of diverse levels have been trained and currently MINRESI/MIPROMALO runs a Professional Training Centre approved by MINEFOP.

Through a MINTP/MIPROMALO partnership, we have produced tender documents to facilitate public contracts, accompanied local contractors on some pilot projects and created awareness to decision makers and local communities. In these projects we have demonstrated that using local materialis cheaper and creates more jobs. Via a MINATD/MIPROMALO partnership and our Enterprise Development Plan sponsored by MINEPAT/MINFI/MINRESI, over 70 municipalities have compressed earth block presses following training of local technicians and builders. MIPROMALO has an Equipment Fabrication Pilot Unit to produce low cost basic equipment. We have accompanied several NGO’s, associations, groups and individuals to invest in the sector and have complete investment studies on industrial projects in search of funds. Some of these have already interested several foreign companies.

What government needs to do for local materials and MIPROMALO to be veritable and unavoidable instruments in mass housing projects is to prescribe the use of these materials in housing programmes, by implementing the Prime Minister’s Circular of 2007 as well as encourage industrial production units in all Regions. MIPROMALO with the appropriate legal framework will mobilise local and foreign companies and other structures to rapidly construct low–cost modern houses similar to those we admire in other countries. The efforts made by government in empowering SMEs in the road construction sector should be replicated in the housing sector.

What are the essential things to be done to attract foreign investors in this sector? Is it profitable? And why?

Government is already doing some of the essential things such as the upcoming international economic conference to attract foreign investors. A very important instrument that exists to this effect is Law N° 2013/004 of 18^th April 2013 to lay down private investment incentives in the Republic of Cameroon. Specific incentives in this law are provided to enterprises in priority sectors including development of housing, including social housing and promotion of construction materials, employing local natural resources with value addition.

Encouraging foreign companies interested in the housing sector to partner with local companies and produce local materials will have a multiplier effect – (a) reduce economic dependence on exterior and improve the balance of trade, (b) stimulate the labour market with huge job creation, (c) producing Cameroonian materials will bring new impetus and creativity in engineering, technical and research domains, (d) improve foreign/local private sector – university/research institution collaboration. These will create a veritable and intrinsic economic environment, sine qua non for an emerging nation, assuring decent housing for Cameroon.

On profitability, among the major cost in construction materials, generally very heavy or bulky, is transportation. Local production is favourable in its reduction. However, government needs to pursue its policy to produce and reduce energy cost, currently the highest cost in materials production. Do you know materials imported into Cameroon are from local resources in the countries of origin! Special attention is also required to reduce the timeframe for different authorisations required in setting up industrial production in Cameroon.