A proper assessment of the rate of unsustainable consumption of biomass fuel is important to determine the extent of the consequent environmental effects. In this paper, an evaluation was made of the rate of fuelwood (firewood and charcoal) consumption in Maiduguri metropolis, the capital of Borno state in Nigeria. Firewood and charcoal are the main solid biomass fuels consumed in Maiduguri city, in addition to rarely used animal dung, thatch, leaves, etc. These fuels are usually used in households, markets and industries for cooking, roasting and bakery activities. To quantify the rate of consumption of these fuels in Maiduguri (and their eventual negative effects), data were collected on the rate of supply of the biomass along highways leading to the city. The result shows a total consumption rate of 366 t/day of solid biomass fuel, with firewood accounting for 288 t/day and charcoal makes up the remaining 78 t/day. This fuelwood consumption rate is around 0.15% of the national figure. The resulting emissions of CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O, SO 2 , NOx, NMVOC, CO,

Building Information Modelling (BIM)is an innovative technology that has transformed the way construction projects are delivered. It has helped to overcome the problems of cost and time overruns, poor quality, safety issues, dissatisfaction, and lossof profit, among others; associated with the traditional method of project delivery. Despite the enormous benefits of BIM, its adoption and implementation among construction companiesin the construction industry of developing nations remained low. In order to drive and influence the wider implementation of BIM, this study assessed the perceived potential benefits of BIM in the Nigerian construction industry. The study adopted a survey approach in which well-structured questionnaires were used to gather data from construction professionals in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, using snowball sampling techniques. With 132 responses, the data gathered were analysed using frequencies, percentile, relative importance index (RII) and Kruskal-Wallis test. The study concluded the level of awareness of BIM is high while its adoption is low. Also, the potential benefits of BIM adoption that could encourage wider implementation in construction are; improve project quality, minimize errors and mistakes, better clash detection, reduced construction time, improve multi-party communication and collaboration,improve project documentation, improves efficiency and productivity, project cost reduction, and minimizesdisputes and conflicts. The Government of Nigeria and other African countries should come up with a policy that wouldmake BIM application in construction mandatory.

Construction projects are known to overrun their budgets and schedules, poor quality of works, wastages, loss of value and experiences increase in financial frauds. Construction audit is a critical tool for the control and monitoring of frauds and other corrupt practices. The failure of construction organisations to recognise how critical auditing and its practices are in the management of construction projects have been blamed for the poor project performance outcome. The purpose of this study is to assess the benefits of construction audits to establish that it is a useful tool in controlling projects. Data were gathered from experts in consulting and contracting organizations using the wellstructured questionnaire and purposive sampling technique in Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria. With reliability of above 0.90, the collected data were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean score, and Mann-Whitney U test. It was found that the eve of use of auditing is high and it is recognised as a significant project control tool. The main benefits of audit application in construction are; to reduce cost overrun, financial probity and accountability, aid in the recovery of cost to promote cost savings, to protect the clients from avoidable and unnecessary claims from contractors, and ensure that projects are delivered in accordance with the project contract provision. Auditing should be encouraged in the delivery of private and public projects to ensure that value for money is achieved and losses reduced.

Default by contractors in meeting the time and cost performance of a project is usually counterproductive. Considering safety from the high financial burden of construction projects, clients are compelled to seek a level of guarantee in bonds to safeguard them from financial problems and provide incentive for proper and timely completion of the project by the contractor, thereby minimising failures and risks. Therefore, the study assessed the level of bond utilization in Nigerian construction industry, with a view to examining the benefits of its utilisation in construction projects. Survey method was adopted in which questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. With a response rate of 45.30% (164 of 362), the collected data were analysed using descriptive and analytical scientific method. It was found that the level of bond utilisation in construction contract is high, with performance bond and Advance payment bond being most commonly used construction bond types. Assurance of performance and financial security are the major benefits of bond utilisation. The study recommends that there is need for more enlightenment of construction participants on the various types bond used in construction contracts