This study investigates how semiotics can be applied to enhance construction operatives’ health and safety (H&S) signs comprehension in Yola metropolis, Nigeria, with a view to improving on H&S management that will curtail the occurrence of accidents. Adopted ISO (9186-1) questionnaire for testing H&S signs comprehension were administered to 60 construction professionals and operatives that are executing 5 government building projects. Responses were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics respectively. Findings revealed that 11 of the 15 H&S signs studied ranked highly relevant for curbing accidents on construction sites while the remaining ranked relevant. For factors influencing H&S signs; training ranked highly influential, experience ranked influential, education ranked moderately influential. While culture, age and gender were ranked least influential respectively. The study recommends: contractors H&S safety compliance records be considered as one of the bases for contract award, safety consciousness be integrated in the overall procurement process, H&S requirements compliance certificate should be introduced and issue to compliant contracting firms, erring contractors on non-adherence to H&S provisions on construction sites be sanction, and construction operatives should be continuously train on H&S signs comprehension.

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The recent increase in prices of energy resources and effects of global warming propelled the growing relevance of improving energy efficiency especially in an energy intensive industry like hotels. This study examines the hotel energy application practices in Abuja Nigeria. The study administered questionnaires to hoteliers in Abuja Nigeria. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive technique. The results indicate hotels in the study area are of divergent physical and operational characteristics implying varying energy consumption and efficiency positions. The respondents aggregated mean ranking on hotel service provision shows all identified services as excellently or very well provided, except for electricity warmed pools which was ranked neutral. Predominantly three types of energy resources were utilized by hotels in the study area which includes grid supplied electricity, diesel and cooking gas respectively. The study recommends the adoption of Demand side management approach to checkmate guest and staff inefficient behaviors’ in addition to regular energy audits and employing renewable resources to straighten the track of the hotel’s energy consumption towards sustainability.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of financial management practices of small-scale building contractors on the technical performance of the contractors in the northern part of Nigeria with international best practices. Previous studies argued that the technical performance of small-scale building contractors in developing countries is poor because of insufficient cash to acquire strategic resources at the outset of a project. This continues to pose a challenge to the sustainable development of the construction industry, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. There is, therefore, a need to identify, assess and compare the effects of financial practices of the contractors with technical performance best practices. Design/methodology/approach The technical performance of each contractor was evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. This is used to obtain the mean technical performance levels of the contractors. A questionnaire survey was administered to the professionals in the industry who were selected by using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The contractors’ performance was compared using ANOVA with post hoc, and the effects of contractors’ financial management practices were determined using multiple regression analysis. Findings The results of this study indicated that the contractors in Nigeria were average technical performers and there were large effects of financial management practices on the technical performance of contractors in building projects. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to small-scale building contractors in northeast Nigeria. One of the implications of this study is that it provides the criteria for an evaluation of small-scale building contractors’ technical performance in Nigeria and other developing countries that faced similar problems. Practical implications The practical implications of this study are that it establishes the current level of contractors' technical performance and serves as an awareness of contractors' current financial practices. Social implications This study created bases for self-evaluation of contractors’ technical performance and competition among small-scale contractors in Nigeria for the enhancement of productivity particularly in rural areas for national development. Originality/value This study emanated from the government reports and past studies in the area of performance management based on the persistence of poor technical performance of small-scale contractors in the construction industry.

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