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INTRODUCTION
Sustainable construction can be described as green construction which is concerned with the
construction development has led to significant changes in building delivery systems that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs and it is a prominent aspect of the socio-economic development of humans that mainly
based on the buildings and the provision of safe and affordable homes for many countries of the
world . The contribution of buildings to Nigeria’s development has not yielded the desired
potentials this can be attributed to failed projects and currently their poor. Many a time building
industry commonly referred to as an industry that is unfriendly and unkind to the natural
environment . Many researchers have expressed concern about the continued destruction and
enormous impact of the construction industry on the environment. Nevertheless, to deal with this
situation, sustainable construction has offers a guiding paradigm to develop a new kind of built
environment: one that meets the needs of humans in the present without limiting the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs. The sustainable construction concept has been
introduced mostly in developed countries while less attention has been given to the concept in
(building, road etc.) in the society has necessitated the need for improvements in the standard of
construction, this is possible through coordinated and committed participation of all stakeholders
in the industry using the appropriate regulations as the key guide and document for quality
management. However, there has been increase in cases of building collapse in Nigeria in recent
times, which has brought to the fore the effectiveness of instituted construction regulations.
The construction industry in Nigeria is characterized with problems which impair the standard of
construction and which, according to Adenike (2006), Grema (2006) and Bamisile (2004), are
often hinged on quality of materials and workmanship which can be cont/rolled by proper use of
In Nigeria, there are few existing National Standards relating to general construction (buildings,
roads etc) and many of them are not even known (Bamisile, 2004). As a result, the designers use
mainly British and American Standards and Codes despite the fact that local requirements are
often different. Serpell et al. (2002) observed that the development process of standards is
difficult, cumbersome and unstable. This aggravates the situation with respect to regulations.
Furthermore, many designers in Nigeria lack adequate knowledge with respect to the function
and performance of the materials and components they specify (Adafin et al., 2011 and
Buildings that satisfied the acceptable standard for performance requirements enhance the
national asset stock and Gross Domestic Product and are termed as sustainable buildings. They
meet the requirement of the present and consequently contributing to future needs [6]. Many
productive lives and properties have been lost to series of building collapse in Nigeria, and these
losses, portent danger to future generations as well as the socio-economic status of its citizenry .
Many researchers have reported five elements of the principles of sustainable development
which involves the selection of durable and sustainable materials that comply with acceptable
requirement for standards; appropriate site selection; adoption of flexible and durable designs;
The initial work is supervised by a specialized firm that is familiar with the complexities of this
kind of design. In the United States, any firm that is able to meet up with specific criteria earn
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building
Council. The Green Building Initiative, another US sustainability organization, also offers
It has been found that some nations actively promote sustainable construction with rebates and
other incentives to companies that practice it. It is also promoted through trade organizations that
provide certifications to sustainable buildings that fall within the acceptable standards. These
organizations inspect buildings to determine whether or not they were built sustainably, and
sometimes their certifications qualify buildings and companies which use green construction for
awards, tax breaks, and other incentives. Many researchers have reported six basic principles for
resource reuse; use renewable and recyclable resources; protect and preserve natural
environment; develop a healthy and non-toxic environment and quality control in developing
built environmement. These principles of sustainable construction cut across the whole life span
of construction, starting planning stages to deconstruction. These principles also extend to the
resources required to create and operate the built environment during its whole life span; land,
building materials, water, energy, and ecosystems (Kibert, 2008).Du Plessis (2009)reported that
majority of developing countries are faced with the serious developmental challenges which
includes housing and infrastructure shortfall, poor governance, high poverty rate, ineffective
institutions, high rate of urbanisation, weak economy and poor human development index. Most
of the developing nations of the world their construction activities are best described as
paradoxical. Many a time there is an attempt to bridge the gaps in housing and infrastructure
requirement for social-economic growth and these activities affected the environment adversely
both socially and economically. With sustainability becoming a serious global issue, it is
essential that the developing countries give the much needed attention to it,
With sustainability becoming a serious global issue, it is pertinent that the developing countries
give urgent attention is required in order to alleviate the negative implications attributed to it.
Thorpe and Ryan [2007] found that there is paucity of information on the advancement made in
Organized construction practice in Nigeria dates back to the 1930s when the very few
construction activities of significance in the country were handled by the Public Works
Department (PWD) and the Royal Army Engineers which was later transformed into the
Nigerian Army Engineers. Direct labour was the mode of construction project delivery at this
time. Construction contracting in Nigeria began in the 1940s with a few British and Italian
companies coming into operation (OlowoOkere, 1985). Nigeria’s independence in 1960 brought
an upward trend in construction activities and until the late sixties, most of the available
second republic in 1983. Unfortunately, the period also witnessed an unprecedented level of
degeneration of standards in the project delivery process. Projects were poorly conceived,
carelessly planned and shabbily executed. The result was unreasonably high time and cost
overruns, low quality and widespread abandonment. This widespread abuse of the contract
system was probably responsible for the National Council of Work’s recommendations in its
13th annual conference in 1984. It recommended direct labour system for capital project
delivery, which gained wide acceptance at all the three tiers of government, under the military
government of that era. Although some impressive results were obtained at the initial stage of
this regime (Dawaki, 1987; Anonymous 1989); abuses were also later discovered. For example,
it has been said that direct labour projects are usually ineffectively managed to the extent that it
may become even costlier and longer to execute projects than when the contract approach is used
(Machina 1989, Sanni 2007). Therefore,may not be the mode of delivery adopted but the
integrity, managerial and professional competence of the executors. The public sector constitutes
the major client of the construction industry in Nigeria, and the traditional approach in this sector
is to handle building design and construction in two separate phases and by two separate teams –
the design and construction teams. The design team usually consist of consultant or in-house
professionals such as: architect, quantity surveyor, structural engineer and services engineer
(electrical and mechanical). The construction team, on the other hand, usually consists of a major
constructor and a number of sub-contractors who are selected on the basis of lump sum
competitive tender, undertaken after completion of most of the design activities. This approach
offers the lowest chance for integration of construction experience into design. The result is the
delay of project execution and high level of difference between the designed and constructed
products. Gidado (1996) and Ogunsanmi (1997) opined that the system of contract procurement
is a strong factor in determining the nature of relationships between the design standard and the
construction teams. Other procurement methods that aim at better integration of the two sets of
experience, and better overall project success have also evolved in the country. Such other
methods include: management contracting, construction management, partnering and design and
build. Until 2006, Nigeria was without uniform regulations, guidelines and standards for the
deplorable state of affairs in the building construction industry and in the built environment.
The sustainable framework in Nigeria is non-existence, this is due to adequate involvement and
participation of stakeholders in practice and research. This has created a very enormous gap in
the Nigeria construction practice in method of projects delivery. According to Bamisile (2004)
regulations, which are supposed to collate all relevant standards for incorporating them in the
construction projects, and which constitute the key document for quality management, are
frequently absent in Nigeria. The results of the survey carried out by Lam et al (2004) showed
that lack of co-ordination, ambiguities, irrelevant clauses, inappropriate standards and reluctance
of contractors to embrace quality culture are the frequent problems in drafting of specifications.
Regulations are often not complied within quality control of materials and work on site (Sani and
Othman, 2011). Gelder (2007), categorized the problems in practice into two broad groups -
unsound regulations and unused regulations. Unsound regulations arise because regulations are
often not well-written. Unused regulations refer to problems that arise when specified
products/services are not used. The causes of unsound regulations, according to Gelder (2007)
(more content than needed and not job specific) and conflict with drawings; unsound regulations
are those that are unused by contractors and unused by contract administrators or construction
enforcement officers.
There is ever exist gap in Nigeria policy on sustainable development which is caused by
1.1.2 SUB-PROBLEM
construction industry?
Iii .Non responsiveness to framework by the stakeholders and client which has contribute
This study will covers the investigation of Nigeria policy on sustainable development in
Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state Nigeria.This is to establish ,promote and maintain construction
Research QUESTIONS
industry?
in Nigeria
iii.How can construction policy in Nigeria be establish, promote and maintain for
The aims of this study is to investigate into Nigeria policy on sustainable development.
development in Nigeria
This study will contribute to literatures on factors influencing the ability and practice of
construction standard for design and construction works that are based on sustainable
principles.
a political party.
industry as a sector of the economy that transform various resources into constructed
physical ,economic and social infrastructure necessary for social economic development .
Adeboye(2013) described sustainable development as that which meet the needs of the
present without comprising the ability of future generation to meets their own needs .
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The Construction industry is a large, dynamic, and complex industry that plays an
important role to the Nigerian economy. Construction workers and employers build our
roads, houses, and workplaces and repair and maintain our nation's physical
infrastructure. Construction work can involve building of new structures, which may
include activities involved with subdividing land for sale as building sites or preparation
of sites for new construction. Construction work also includes renovations involving
additions, alterations, or maintenance and repair of buildings or engineering projects such
as highways or utility systems. When the construction industry is examined from a global
context, its socio-economic significance becomes obvious. The industry is the world's
largest industrial employer (111 million employees) and in most countries it accounts for
more than half of capital investment and as much as 10 per cent of GNP (Du Plessis,
2001).
Construction work covers many activities, techniques, materials and hazards and it is this
accidents within the industry and the factors that can contribute indirectly to an accident.
An accident may be defined as any unplanned event that resulted in injury or ill health of
theme is that people are killed during simple, routine work and in many cases a clear lack
of planning and compliance with standard contributed to the tragedy. However, safety
and safeguard of life has been lacking in the Nigeria construction industry (Ndirangu,
2009). An underlying belief is that the majority of accidents are not caused by careless
workers but by failures in compliance with standard and control which ultimately is the
responsibility of management.
Construction regulations are statutory instruments that seek to ensure that the
construction policies set out in the relevant legislation are carried out (Gelder, 2004).
Construction regulations approval is required for most construction work in any given
relating to collection and payment of the construction levy (G.O.K, 2012). Generally in
every country, construction regulation authorities are established to harmonize
construction laws found in statutes which may contradict each other, curb uncontrolled
and unchecked physical planning of buildings and construction, control and enforce the
mechanisms on the application of the Building Code in the construction industry, prevent
easy entry and penetration of unqualified contractors, and improve on the bureaucratic
both material quality and contractor performance, and revise the Building Codes to
setting out the minimum legal requirements for construction works and relate primarily to
the health, safety and welfare of the workforce which must be taken into account when
planning construction operations and during the actual construction period (Chudley &
incorporate a provision that the contractor who plans to perform any construction shall
before carrying the work notify in writing the competent authority for construction
planning. Traditionally, cost, quality and time have constituted the parameters within
which projects have been managed. However, increasing awareness of the role of
standard in overall project performance, and the inclusion of standard technique and
sector. The number of large-scale construction accidents in Nigeria in the recent past has
further raised the level of awareness on the need for construction standards.
promote, review and co-ordinate training programs for skilled construction workers and
construction site supervisors, accredit and register contractors and regulate their
construction site supervisors, develop and publish a code of conduct for the construction
requirement and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those
of the future generations . The construction industry is client driven and level of
owning to ignorant about the market value and possible loosing clients since majority of
the clients are negligent of the benefits. The greater percentage of clients was not aware
of sustainable construction and the ones that aware are interested in initial cost rather than
goals that comprises of the provision of safe and affordable homes . It is pertinent to
incorporate sustainable principles from the beginning of any project in order to achieve
key elements of built environmental sustainability; the people, industrial base, resource
base, natural environment, and the built environment. However Sev(2007)found that
development which includes environmental, social and economic and these is based on
three principles; resource management, life-cycle design and design for human
habitation. There are many challenges to sustainable features that create balance between
protecting ecology, societal interests and the economy. Information on the tenets of
sustainability is still very poor based on this finding the best practices for implementation
There are six principles for sustainable construction, proposed by Miyakate (1996); CIB
renewable and recyclable resources; • Protect the natural environment; • Create a healthy
and non-toxic environment; and • Pursue quality in creating the built environment. 2
Despite the success of sustainable construction and the green building movement in the
developed countries of the world Nigeria is still widely lagged behind but more
are still faced with some barriers to more widespread acceptance. Development of
sustainable construction in any country, the bottlenecks that hindered these practices have
to be identified. Some of these challenges include; Clients reluctance, paucity of the right
sustainable designs, clients’ reluctance, a lack of the right information, non availability of
sustainable construction mateSrials, and lack capacity to enforce and execute policies on
Liverpool John Moores University with the view of assessing factors best promote or
sustainability is measured . It was reported that the main drivers for sustainable
expensive to implement as compared to standard practices [23]. The drivers and barriers
DRIVERS BARRIERS
Djokoto et al. [24] reported some challenges encountered in the sustainable construction
industry in Ghana as shown in Table 2. Zhou and Lowe(2003) reported that sustainable
construction is faced with some challenges such as the unaware of its economic benefits,
lack of appropriate building regulations and planning policies that will make obligatory
compared with traditional approach in terms of capital has been seen as one of the major
sustainable construction will cost more reduces investors and construction organizations
interest . However, this perception is actually not true. However, the challenges
acknowledged in the literature can be classified into four main categories as regard
steering barriers.
0.76 7th 5 Higher final cost 0.82 3rd 6 Lack of Public awareness 0.79 4th 7 Lack of
Demand 0.90 1st 8 Lack of strategy to promote sustainable construction 0.87 2nd 9 Lack
of Design and Construction team 0.56 7th 10 Lack of Expertise 0.54 18th 11 Lack of
professional knowledge 0.44 8th 12 Lack of database and information 0.63 16th 13 Lack
measurement tool 0.68 10th 16 Increased Documentation 0.64 13th 17 Extensive Pre-
contract planning 0.65 12th 18 Change Resistance 0.64 14th 19 Lack of training 0.67
The Nigerian construction industry process has not experience major growth over the past
decades and thus rendered itself as a sector which is very difficult to revolutionize
especially with respect to construction methods practiced and building materials utilized.
Construction in Nigeria ultimately favours the use of blocks and reinforced concrete
which is professional termed wet construction, and disregards other forms of construction
practiced in other parts of the world. Williams and Dair [20] also acknowledged that lack
by the client as a commonly recognized barrier. Lack of demand was also stated as one of
the major challenges as building project cannot be execute along with sustainable lines
with traditional building and the risks of unanticipated costs are the major hindrance to
sustainable building solutions may be hid because clients are much interested about the
higher risk involved in the unfamiliar techniques, the lack of preceding experience,
further testing, additional research and inspection construction, lack of manufacturer and
supplier support as well as lack of performance information . Hydes and Creech [26, 28]
mentioned likely reasons for the higher costs which may due to increases in the
consultant’s fees, design team and contractors with sustainable building methods. Kats
[29] reported that sustainable practices in construction are estimated to increase initial
capital cost to the range of 1 - 25%, moreover, this can be offset through savings from
operational costs. According to Baiden et al. [30] reported that sustainability will reduce
life-cycle cost as well as enhancing the productivity of staff using such building.
Throughout the life of any construction project there involved many stakeholders. The
normally from several organizations, that are hired and assigned to a project to build a
facility . One of the main barriers to sustainable construction is the lack of technical
sustainable practices [31]. Häkkinen and Belloni [17] asserted that sustainable buildings
Rydin et al. [32] stated that while designers demonstrate confidence in their ability to
access and use knowledge in general, this confidence falls when sustainable building
issues are addressed. This presupposes that professionals within the built environment
have being identified to lack the technical knowledge and awareness and this has been
sustainability, lack of education and proper perception in sustainable design as the main
Williams and Dair [20] recommended the formation of an integrated team from
landscape consultant, cost planner and building surveyor. It is important that this team
have access to the best available information on products and tools to actualize
sustainable construction. Presently reverse is the case in Nigeria . The workforce of every
construction industry is its backbone hence it pertinent to involve professionals who are
not only knowledgeable but can enhance sustainable construction working as a team.
Some professionals are not well trained in the knowledge of sustainable construction and
D. Technical barriers.
The effect of technical barriers on the success of sustainable construction was reported
[30]. Many researchers have identified some of the major barriers to the implementation
accessible guidance, lack of technical know-how, persistent skills and labour shortages
[32, 33]. These barriers are considered technical and they have direct impact on the
success of implementation of sustainable construction principles (Rydin et al. [32] stated
that some of the designers in the construction industry lack of confident on sustainable
for the professionals within the built environment to be acquainted with sustainable
According to Tah [35] and Olajumoke et al. [36] the availability of locally sourced
‘green’ building products, such as advanced glazing systems, proved difficult for many
cases, either directly by the project team or through a locally approved distributor. A lack
information at an affordable rate was cited as a barrier to the use of such techniques
E. Steering Barriers
A stream of individual engaged in the construction industry ranging from clients to the
builder thus an efficient and effective steering or strategy will have to be involved to
and measurement tools and so on. Zhang et al. [39] advocated for a new kind of
orchestrating and pioneering role of the building authorities and other public actors in the
building sector.
achieve cleaner and safer structures. The sustainable construction methods and materials
sustainable construction materials and methods, the waste and energy consumption and
the overall life cycle impacts should be minimized. Sustainable construction materials are
also much more efficient to recycle, requiring less energy and efforts in the recycling
process.