More Nigerians Embrace Smart Buildings

BY Realty+

In Nigeria, smart homes are getting more popular in cities due to the unique features and convenience it offers homeowners and subscribers. Property developers, other industry’s stakeholders are also prioritising the design in their offering for the people. Smart homes are houses with high-end security features and have evolved to include features like lighting systems, gas leakage detectors, fire detection systems, entertainment systems and energy efficiency systems.

Automated homes have all electrical connections, functions and facilities that can be connected and controlled by a remote control, connected to cars, smartphone or a computer. Experts estimate that about 49 per cent of millennials in the major cities now have home automation devices as a component of their homes. Bilaad Realty, Abuja, Abdullahi Umar, disclosed that the market is growing in tandem with the general economy, which is a bit slow, adding that there is appetite for smart homes among the people.

He said the demand is gradually increasing because of issues of insecurity as people now leverage more on camera solutions in homes, automated door locks, sensor light controls, and biometric access. “The market is growing but the greatest challenge is the awareness level of consumers. Developers primarily promote most of the issues of smart buildings and smart devices and the companies involved. The penetration is easier when the developers have already installed the devices in the homes for buyers. For those that doesn’t already have it in their homes, the chances are reduced,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer, Estate Intel, Dolapo Omidire, said that there has been increase in interest in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in the past two years leading to many developers including sustainable features or getting certification from bodies like the IFC EDGE. “Because ESG and sustainable/green building is topical. We will be seeing more activity in the space in the future. To grow the market we need to educate the public and ensure there are options for developers looking to adopt the tech. In a survey we conducted in Kenya. Green building consultants expect the market to grow by 30-35 per cent over the next three or four years. It’s hard to say where Nigeria will land but we can expect to trail the Kenyan’s market at the very least,” Omidire said.

Tags : Nigeria smart homes cities features homeowners subscribers Property developers industry stakeholders Automated homes Bilaad Realty Abuja Abdullahi Umar Dolapo Omidire Chief Executive Officer Estate Intel