Buildings are essential facilities in the delivery of quality education in any nation. Providing not just buildings but sustainable ones is necessary, since educational buildings are meant to serve both the present generation, and generations to come. However, bold statements as to the poor sustainability nature of construction projects in most developing countries around the world have been made by researchers. This study therefore assessed the challenges of sustainable construction (SC) and the possible measures for mitigating the issue of poor sustainability in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI). Survey design was employed and questionnaire was administered on construction participants in selected higher institutions. Data gathered were analyzed using percentage, mean score, Kruskal-Walis H-test, and factor analysis. The study revealed that the significant challenges of SC are majorly construction related, sustainability awareness and knowledge related, finance related, and government related. To improve on the sustainability of construction projects, then strict government policy on SC, and jettisoning the traditional method of construction for innovative sustainability oriented methods, is necessary. The implication of this finding is that, the method and process of operations within the NCI does not favor the attainment of SC. Therefore, if sustainability is to be achieved, a review of construction activities and processes within the industry is necessary.

Labour-only procurement system is gaining fast popularity among construction clients who want to make savings by procuring materials themselves, leaving the contractor to provide only the labour needed. This study, therefore, appraised this procurement system by assess­ing its cost performance, its suitability, construction par­ticipant’s willingness to use it for subsequent projects and its merits and demerits. Using a survey design approach through the use of questionnaire and a pro forma, data were gathered from a total of 98 construction profes­sionals and contractors who have been involved in the use of this procurement system. Analyses of data were done using percentage, mean item score, Mann-Whitney U test and paired samples t-test. The study revealed that this procurement system is best for procuring residential buildings and minor alteration works. Construction participants who have used this system before are willing to still use it for subsequent works, as it delivers projects within budget and discourages short-changing of specifi­cations and standard by contractors. However, the need for the time commitment and reduction in contractor’s profit are its major disadvantages. For its cost perfor­mance, an overall cost saving of about 2% was discovered for the assessed 32 projects. The findings of this study will be beneficial to various interest groups such as clients and estate developers in selecting the right procurement option to use.

Purpose-The land is a critical resource for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure development. However, acquisition of land for PPP infrastructure projects implementation increasingly becomes problematic in developing countries. Yet, effort at investigating the factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP infrastructure projects through an empirical method in developing countries received scant attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and critically assess the factors predisposing PPP projects implementation to land acquisition delay in Nigeria using an empirical approach.Design/methodology/approach-The study adopted literature review and questionnaire survey. For instance, literature review was used to identify the factors causing delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in developing countries, which was used to design the questionnaire survey culminating in data analysis. In order to capture a broad perception, the questionnaires were administered to three different primary stakeholder groups comprised public sector authorities (i.e. ministries, department, agencies), concessionaires, and lenders/banks involved in PPP projects implementation in Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using mean score, Kruskal-Wallis test, and factor analysis. Findings-The study revealed the mean score ranking of 22 identified factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria. The result of factor analysis grouped the 22 identified factors into 4 principal factors namely, resettlement issues with political interference; non-availability of land with a higher cost of land transactions; weak planning institutions; and rehabilitation issues with extensive legal delays.Practical implication-These study findings have implications for both policymakers considering PPP projects and private investors seeking to finance a PPP project in developing countries. Also, the study findings would be useful for the governments in Nigeria and other developing countries to formulate clear policies framework that facilitates the smooth acquisition of land for PPP projects.Originality/value-The study will be beneficial to the potential local and foreign private investors, and governments by broadening their awareness on impediments in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria and developing countries at large. These study findings are crucial as not many empirical studies have been conducted in Nigeria, and many other developing countries.

Purpose The non-performance of construction projects in meeting the set objectives has continued to draw researchers worldwide. Despite this, little attention is accorded to public tertiary education building projects in Nigeria. Therefore, on this background, this study aims to assess the perceptions of stakeholders on the level of occurrence of risk factors in the public tertiary education building projects (TEBP) to enhance the performance of these projects. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a quantitative method of data collection via a questionnaire survey. In total, 452 questionnaires were administered to the respondents comprising client representatives, consultants (quantity surveyors, architects, services and structural engineers and builders) and the contractor. The respondents were involved in the conception and execution of TEBP across five public tertiary education institutions in Ondo State, Nigeria. Of 452 questionnaires, 279 were retrieved and found suitable for analysis, indicating a 61.73% response rate. The reliability analysis for the research instrument was 0.965 via the Cronbach α test, indicating the high reliability of the instrument used for the data collection. Moreover, the clusters of risk factors also had reliability values that ranged between 0.719 and 0.875. Findings The study found inflation, delayed payments in contracts, high competition bids, delay in work progress and occurrence of variations are the most frequently occurring risk factors in public TEBP. By contrast, difficulty to access the site, environmental factors and pollution were found to be low-weighted risks with the least likelihood of occurrence. The results of this study indicated the existence of significant differences in some of the risk factors in terms of the level of risk occurrence in TEBP. The risk factors were eventually clustered into eight major groups for TEBP. The post hoc comparisons using the least significant difference test also indicated differences between the contractors and consultants in the ranking of risks occurrence in TEBP, but no significant differences between clients/contractors and clients/consultants. Research limitations/implications The findings in this study are limited to the public TEBP procured via competitive tendering; therefore, the results might not be applicable when other procurement methods are being considered. Besides, the study classified the project participants based on organizations and not on the different ownership status of the projects, such as federal or state government-owned TEBP. However, the literature shows that likelihood of risk occurrence could vary due to the degree of project ownership. Practical implications The information provided with respect to the most frequently occurring risk factors would enhance the performance of public TEBP. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on the subject within a previously unexplored context where insights were provided on the most frequently occurring risk factors on the public TEBP.

Purpose -Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to both developed and developing countries have increased over the past three decades. However, investigation of opportunities and challenges associated with FDI on the host economy and its impact especially on the construction sector through empirical assessment, have received scant attention. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in knowledge within the Nigerian context; and examine the trend of FDI inflows to the construction sector for the period 2000-2013 inclusive. Relationships between contributions of the construction sector to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are also studied.Design/methodology/approach-The study adopted used a literature review, a questionnaire survey, and archival data culminated in data analysis. The survey targeted financial experts in Nigerian financial institutions/local banks. Archival data included the annualised data extracted from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletins. The period examined witnessed stable economic conditions. Data collected were analysed using mean score, factor analysis, and correlation.Findings -Eight identified opportunities of utilising FDI were grouped into three principal factors: knowledge spillovers; capital for new investment; and resilience during financial crises. The 10 identified FDI challenges were grouped into three major factors: loss of ownership advantage and additional costs; crowding-out of national firms; and administrative bottlenecks and overdependence. Based on the hypotheses tested, the study found a significant relationship between the contributions of FDI inflows in the construction sector and the total GDP of the host country.Practical implications -This study provides greater insight on the effects of FDI on a host economy in developing countries, which would help policymakers to examine existing policies, and look for new ways of increasing foreign investment flow,. eEspecially in the area of Construction Facility Investment (CFI).Originality/value -This study is important because it would enable informs policymakers in developing countries at large, to promote FDI with special considerations for the construction sector of the economy.