Let's Go To See China Building Materials Product

As early as 2014, the Federal Government of Nigeria planned for a 30-year period to fill the huge infrastructure gap in the country and guarantee sustainable economic development. This frenzied construction boom has created a huge market demand for building materials, but the Nigerian construction industry is backward, far from being able to meet the domestic demand for building materials, the vast majority of which are still dependent on imports. It is against this background that the advantages of the introduction of Chinese building materials for the development of Nigeria are fully realised:

1. Quality assurance and advanced technology

China is now the world's largest producer and consumer of construction materials. For many years, it has ranked first in the world in terms of the production of major building materials, such as cement, flat glass, building sanitary ceramics, stone and wall materials. At the same time, the quality of building materials continues to improve, energy and raw material consumption declines year by year, a variety of new building materials continue to emerge, building materials products continue to be upgraded. China National Building Material Corporation (CNBM), the world's largest building materials manufacturer and one of the major central enterprises in the manufacturing industry, has advanced building materials manufacturing technology and is an industry leader.

2. Wide range of products, high quality and low price

The categories, quality and price of Chinese building materials products are very suitable for the African market. For example, a security door that sells for $850 in the Nigerian building materials market sells for only 900 to 1,500 yuan in China. The price of small hardware and building materials in Nigeria is nearly 1 US dollar, but only 1 yuan in China. 

Here are some popular Chinese building materials products:

l Hardware: faucets, valves, ball valves;

l Doors and windows: security doors, shutters, aluminium profiles, door rollers；

l Floor coverings: other MDF (HS:4411), ceramic tiles (small-sized antique tiles in various colors)；

l Kitchen and bathroom: ceramic sanitary ware, bathroom cabinet；

l Ceiling: fireproof decorative panels, aluminium alloy panels.

3. Novelty in type and diverse performance

The types of new building materials contain new wall materials, new waterproof sealing materials, new thermal insulation materials and new building decoration materials. The use of new building materials can increase the effective usable area by 10 per cent, reduce the dead weight of the building by 40 per cent, and can effectively improve the seismic capacity. In the process of use, its durability, corrosion resistance and mechanical properties are greatly improved, and can well meet the user in the use of the process of economy, safety and comfort requirements.

4. Environmentally friendly and beneficial

As environmentally friendly products gradually become the protagonist in the market, consumers have put forward safety, health, low-carbon requirements for building materials. Promoting the application of green technology and the use of environmentally friendly construction materials that are pollution-free, non-polluting and non-radioactive is an inevitable trend in the development of the construction industry. Compared with traditional building materials, new building materials can not only reduce building energy consumption, but also make rational use of industrial waste. New building materials not only do not pollute the indoor environment, but also beneficial to human health, help to improve the building environment, can play the role of anti-mould, sound insulation, heat insulation, sterilization, temperature, humidity, light, flame retardant, deodorant.

5. Creating Talent and Win-Win Co-operation

The introduction of Chinese construction materials and related construction projects in Nigeria are closely related to the lives of local people. Rooting the modern supply chain system in Nigeria will facilitate the lives of local people, solve a large number of labour employment, and bring the people closer to the local people. Through the establishment of such a China-Nigeria platform, talents are continuously gathered, nurtured, valued and retained. This is a thriving situation for both countries.

In addition, importing Chinese construction material products has the following positive implications:

1. Accelerate the process of construction projects

China's building materials products are available in a wide range of categories and functionalities for different countries and regions to choose from on demand. The use of Chinese construction materials of high quality and low price can greatly reduce labour and time costs, and improve work efficiency, thus effectively speeding up the construction project process.

2. Strengthening China-Nigeria cooperation and exchanges

Nigeria is China's second-largest export market, second-largest trading partner and first-largest contracting market in Africa. Over the years, the two countries have formed a good partnership through uninterrupted economic and trade cooperation. The introduction of Chinese construction material products will make a positive contribution to the further enhancement of understanding and cooperation between the industrial and commercial circles of China and Nigeria.

3. Increase the development of building materials

Nigeria's local building materials market is in the early stage of development, and there is a lack of international suppliers. Co-operation with China and the introduction of its building materials products can not only reverse the situation of domestic building materials products in short supply, but also take this opportunity to co-operate, learn from China's experience, and vigorously develop the country's building materials industry.

From January to April 2024, the export value of building materials and non-metallic mineral commodities amounted to $12.79 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 11.6 per cent. After deducting the price factor, the export value of building materials actually increased by about 3.4 per cent. The export of most building materials products continued to show a "volume increase and price decline", but the export of cement products, construction glass, limestone, plaster quarrying and products, construction stone, graphite, fluorite and other commodities "fell in both volume and price".

In conclusion, the introduction of Chinese construction material products has many advantages, such as quality assurance and advanced technology; wide range of products, high quality and low price; novelty in type and diverse performance; environmentally friendly and beneficial; creating Talent and Win-Win Co-operation. Effective and reasonable use of these advantages, is conducive to enhance their own corporate visibility, explore Nigeria's own market potential, create more opportunities and development space.