The Impact of ICT on Professional Practice in the Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract

AbstractThe potential of ICT for improving the quality of professional services in the construction industry is generally acknowledged. While reports abound on ICT in the construction industries of developed countries, very little exists for developing countries. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the current state of ICT in professional practice in the Nigerian construction industry in the context of a developing economy.A survey of the current state of ICT in architectural, engineering and quantity surveying practices in the Nigerian construction industry was conducted in South West Nigeria. The results indicated that while core architectural, engineering and quantity surveying functions (like drawing, engineering design and preparation of bills of quantities respectively) have been largely computerised, data and document management is still done in the traditional way in most cases. The Internet is gaining popularity with over 60% of the respondents currently connected. For now most of the professionals use the Internet mainly for e‐mails and its potentials in more strategically important areas like e‐business and electronic data transfer are yet to be fully exploited.The impact of ICT on professional practice has been mainly in making jobs easier for the professions, facilitating decision‐making and savings in operating costs, among others. The notoriously inefficient national electric power supply system and the high cost of computer hardware and software in relation to the dwindling fortunes of the professions in Nigeria's depressed economy are the key obstacles to increased investments in ICT. However, most of the respondents (about 80%) were optimistic about the future of ICT in the Nigerian construction industry, with plans for major new ICT investments in teleworking, videoconferencing and electronic data management (EDM). These findings, it is hoped, should guide the construction industry in Nigeria in adopting appropriate policies to internalise the globally acclaimed benefits of ICT.