The Partner, Ballsbridge & Co, Abdulkadir Hassan has advocated the need for integration of bamboo technology into entrepreneurial development programmes of higher institutions, professional bodies, industrial associations and other players in the economy.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ECONOMY, Hassan, who also doubles as co-chairman, Bamboo Technology Promotion Committee, said bamboo technology has potential impacts on almost every sectors of the economy, adding that, ‘it can save nation’s foreign exchange from the import of other products and inputs that bamboo can serve as raw materials.’
Housing sector, he added, can also make bamboo value chain to thrive further, noting that, “the reason being that bamboo can significantly bring down the cost of housing. It can be used with materials to produce concretes, provide wood requirements and generate a wide range of housing inputs.
“Bamboo housing is very durable and less vulnerable to environmental shocks once the right process and technologies are used.”
Stating that, currently, bamboo business is not yet thriving enough in Nigeria due inadequate awareness and capacity, he listed other challenges of bamboo development in Nigeria to include: access to bamboo technology, lack of capacity and power supply issues, amongst others.
“For example, there were examples of some parties mostly MSME that either attempted or started bamboo processing but they could not sustain it, due to mainly power and other challenges that makes the tough.” he said.
He said, many players across sectors are aware of the numerous innovative uses of bamboo but the most common use is in scaffolding and other rudimentary applications.
However, the business, he said, is expected to thrive as more Nigerians get to know economic power and earning potentials bamboo.
