Assessment of the Contribution of Interlocking Stabilized Soil Block Technology to Affordable Housing Delivery in Nigeria

Nigeria currently faces a severe residential supply crisis, officially estimated at a deficit of 14.925 million units for the 2025/2026 period. This shortage is exacerbated by the high costs of conventional, cement-intensive building materials, which dominate the domestic construction sector. To address this critical gap, the adoption of sustainable, costeffective alternative materials is required. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of compressed earth masonry as a potentially viable architectural intervention for mass residential delivery. Utilizing a descriptive review design supported by Comparative Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), the study evaluates the economic, structural, and environmental performance of this technology against standard hollow sandcrete blocks. The quantitative methodology indexes a standard one-square-meter walling unit to isolate material and labor expenditures, specifically analyzing the financial impact of a mortar-less dry-stacking technique. The findings demonstrate significant cost efficiency; erecting a basic wall panel yields a 12.44% raw capital reduction compared to sandcrete, primarily through the elimination of auxiliary bedding mortar expenses. Furthermore, empirical evaluations indicate that this integration improves indoor thermal comfort and acoustic insulation due to the natural thermal mass and density of the compressed earth. Despite these advantages, widespread adoption remains constrained by strict soil requirements, on-site quality control challenges, and negative public perceptions regarding earthen architecture. The paper concludes that while moisture management requires targeted design solutions, the overarching economic and environmental benefits are consistent with Nigeria's affordable development goals. It recommends that policymakers and urban planners incentivize earth-based construction technologies through standardized building codes and targeted green financing to contribute to addressing the national housing deficit.