Adopting Sustainable Practice: the Benefits to the Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract

The negative impacts of construction activities on the environment have become a global concern, which has caught the attention of researchers worldwide. One medium to encourage the adoption of sustainable construction practices and curb this global menace is the identification of their benefits. Thus, this research seeks to explore the benefits of adopting sustainable practices in the Nigerian construction industry. A total of (26) benefits were extracted from an extensive review of relevant literature which was then used to formulate a well-structured questionnaire distributed to construction professionals in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 216 responses were received and found usable for analysis. The responses were analyzed using mean scores, factor analysis, and reliability tests. The findings showed that the major benefits of adopting sustainable construction practices in Nigeria are improved environment, clients and user satisfaction, enhanced quality of life, improved productivity, and reduced cost. The study concluded that, when the project lifecycle is taken into account, sustainable construction tends to save 18% of the total project cost, making it less expensive than conventional construction. Therefore, it is proposed that governments and construction stakeholders educate clients about the benefits of sustainable practices during building operations, as highlighted in this study, in order for them to be implemented effectively.