An investigation of the barriers to the uptake of local materials in Africa: A literature review approach

The activities of the construction industry require that alternative construction materials be used for construction projects, especially in developing countries like those in Africa. The conventional construction materials are no longer sustainable because they have caused devastating environmental damage and climate changes among others. The objectives of this study are to investigate the available local materials for construction projects in Africa, and the barriers to the adoption of local construction materials as alternatives for construction projects. The literature review approach was used for the study. This was achieved by conducting a literature search on the construction materials that have been adopted in Africa for construction projects and the barriers to their adoption. The results of the study were discussed and presented in tabular form. The findings of the research indicate that about 16 materials have been adopted across African countries for construction projects. However, the continued adoption of the materials has been hampered by many challenges, among which is the inability to produce the materials at a large scale for construction projects. Hence, the study conceptualized that the barriers to the adoption of local materials for construction projects are both developmental and in the form of government policies. Recommendations were made on the approach to mitigating the barriers to the adoption of local construction materials in Africa.