The Choice of Building Materials for Housing by Low-Income People in Suburban Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

This study analyzed low-income people’s building material choices for construction and examined the factors that influence low-income people’s choice of building materials in Suburban Ota, Ogun state. This study used a case study approach to provide intensive explanations. Two Community Development Associations (CDAs) in Ota – Idera and Aiyelabola – with a preponderance of low-income houses were purposively selected. Questionnaires were administered to all house owners in the landlord and tenants’ association register in the two CDAs. The questionnaire solicited information on the house owners’ socioeconomic profile, physical characteristics of buildings, and choice of materials for buildings for quantitative analysis. Quantitative data were subjected to frequency, cross-tabulation, and chi-squared tests for descriptive and inferential analyses. Findings show that most of the houses were incomplete, (ICB) and those with roofs and externally plastered were regarded as complete by house owners (CB) at (59.7%), and (40%) respectively. The building material qualities influenced the choices in the following order: superiority (S), strength of the material (SM), durability (D), and cost (Co) at (55%), ((51%), (50%) and (44%) respectively. The study showed that the relationships between tenure status (TS), house typology, (HT) headship of household (HH), and choice of building material (CBM) were significant at (p=0.000<0.05), (p=0.000<0.05), and (p=0.002<0.05), respectively, and the relationships between religion, (R) ethnic group, (EG), education (HEL), and physical characteristics (PC) were significant at (p=0.009<0.05), (p=0.017<0.05), and 0.009, respectively. In conclusion, the study revealed preferences played a major role in building material choices among low-income people in the study area. In addition, despite the differences in the social profiles of house owners, it is difficult to ascribe building material choices to income alone. This study hopes to influence housing policy formulation for low-income housing.