Analysis of Building Materials Used in Low-Cost Housing Construction in Maiduguri, Borno State

The reconstruction of housing stock in Maiduguri following years of conflict-related destruction has created an urgent demand for affordable and contextually appropriate building materials, making a systematic analysis of materials currently in use a critical evidence base for policy and professional practice. This study analyses the building materials employed in low-cost housing construction across three post-conflict residential neighbourhoods in Maiduguri: Gwange, Bulumkutu, and Lamisula. Field surveys of one hundred and twenty residential buildings documented wall materials, roofing systems, foundation types, floor finishes, and opening treatments, while interviews with forty local builders and twenty housing households captured cost, availability, and performance perceptions. Material samples were obtained for compressive strength testing at the University of Maiduguri Civil Engineering Laboratory. Results show that compressed earth blocks constitute the most widely used wall material at forty-two percent of surveyed buildings, followed by sandcrete blocks at thirty-eight percent and burnt brick at fifteen percent. Compressed earth block structures showed notably higher summer thermal comfort ratings from residents than sandcrete equivalents. Corrugated iron sheets dominate roofing at eighty-seven percent, despite poor thermal performance in the extreme temperature range of the region. Cost analysis confirms that compressed earth block construction is thirty-one percent less expensive per square metre than sandcrete. The study recommends the formalisation of compressed earth block production through quality certification under the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and advocates for government procurement policies that prioritise locally produced materials in public housing programmes in Borno State. Keywords: building materials, low-cost housing, compressed earth blocks, Maiduguri, post-conflict reconstruction.