Nigeria is the seventh most populous Country in the world and the most rapidly urbanizing nation in Africa. There is an ever growing demand of housing in Nigeria.  Recent reports suggest that there is a need to build at least 17 million housing units.

On 20 January 2015, a 10-member high-level delegation from Nigeria comprising officials from the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, Federal Capital Development Authority  (FCDA) and Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) accompanied  by Mr. C.S. Tiwari and Mr. Nitin Marwah from the MGT Group, Dubai visited the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) campus to explore the possiblity of use of AIT’s innovative Habitech building as well as Naturally Acceptable and Technologically Sustainable (NATS) sanitation technology solutions for affordable housing initiative in a wide-scale community-level application in Nigeria.

This visit took place after AIT’s novel Housing & Sanitation Technology adaptation and deployment partner, Prashak Techno Enterprises, India founded  by Dr. Praful Naik, initiated dialouge and signed an MOU with the MGT Group – organization of global repute headquartered in Dubai and the business partner of FMBN in the Nigerian housing initiative for execution and deployment of AIT’s novel Habitech – NivaraTantra Housing & Sanitation Technology solution in Nigeria. AIT with technical, management and maintenance support from Prashak has also enabled and established a robust Intellectual Property (IP) protection for its novel Housing & Sanitation technology globally.

Dr. Siddharth Jabade, Innovation & IP expert who initiated the unique partnership of technology generation, protection and deployment between Prashak and AIT as a part of the AIT’s innovation pathway to  enable socially responsible innovations of AIT reach out to the society at large in a most sustainable manner also participated in this important visit.

Dr. Naveed Anwar, Executive Director, AIT Consulting and Engr. Gyanendra Sthapit, Director, Habitech Center welcomed the high level delegation from Nigeria and the MGT group.

The visit started off with a brief introduction of AIT, AIT Consulting, and Habitech Center presented by Dr. Naveed Anwar. The delegates then visited the structural engineering testing & R&D facilities led by Engr. Sthapit followed by a visit to the sanitation technology testing and research facilities led by Dr. Nawatch Surinkul, Decentralized Wastewater (DEWAT) Management Specialist.

The delegation later met with AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai for a formal presentation featuring the solution for a sustainable and affordable housing development in Nigeria by the MGT Group, Prashak Techno Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., India and AIT Consulting / Habitech Center. The presentation encompassed MGT’s vision and strategy of partnering; including  enlightening of the delegation on value proposition of the Intellectual property and Innovation by Dr. Siddharth Jabade; followed by detailed inputs on needs,  master plan & deliverables for the proposed project in Abuja, Nigeria by Dr. Praful Naik, Prashak’s Director & CEO and Mr. Prashant Shah, Prashak’s Consulting Architect partner and concluded with a detailed insight on the novel Habitech-NivaraTantra Housing Technology by Dr. Naveed Anwar as well as on NATS Sanitation technology by Dr. Nawatch Surinkul.

The proposed “Affordable Social Housing and Sanitation Solution” will be using the novel  Habitech-NivaraTantra technology from AIT Habitech Center and decentralized wastewater management systems developed by NATS which has global Intellectual Property through patent applications. It combines AIT’s homegrown technologies in low-cost, integrated housing construction with sustainable, re-useable sanitation systems.

The delegation from Nigeria included Mrs. Eucharia Onimisi Alozie, Director PPP, Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Mr. Umar Gambo Jibrin, Director – Mass Housing, FCDA; Mr. Yahaya Anako Yusuf, Director – Development Control, FCDA; Mr. Obadiah Ateasi Ali, Development Control, FCDA; Mr. Abubaka Musa Omar, Assistant General Manager, FMBN; Mr. Sheshu Usman Osidi, Assistant General Manager, FMBN; Mr. Oladapo Akinboye Fakeye, Special Assistant of MD/CEO, FBMN; and official consultants to FMBN Mr. Uchechukwu G. Ezenwaka, Executive Director, Associated Design Consultants; Mr. Yusuf Shawulu, Principal Partner, YS Associates; and Mr. Simon Onu Agamah, Consultant.

After the meetings at AIT, the Nigerian officials were immersed in examples of the proposed solutions. First they travelled to a resettlement area in Phang-nga, Phuket province and then visited the NATS constructed wetland located on Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand.