STRATEGIES FOR GREEN BUILDING MATERIAL ADOPTION IN NIGERIA CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The construction industry of any nation is one of the greatest and most important sectors that strengthen economic development. It is the least sustainable industry in the world as it consumes more than half of all the non-renewable resources humankind use in construction works, especially housing. The activities of the industry contribute greatly to environmental pollution which is among the world largest consumer of energy, material resources, water, and land dereliction. This study aims to appraise green building materials within the Nigerian construction industry, with a view to suggesting a veritable strategy for their adoption. To achieve this, a Mixed Method Design was adopted. A total of 372 questionnaires were distributed for the purpose of the study, 156 valid questionnaires were administered. Descriptive method of data analysis was adopted using simple random sampling technique and through the use of interview. Percentages, Frequency, Mean Item Score (MIS), and Relative Importance Index (RII) were used to analyse the collected data through the administration of questionnaire. The study found that construction stakeholders are aware of the existence and adoption of some green materials like empty plastic bottles, clay and mud, grasses, bricks, stone and timber, with the correlation showing an insignificant level of p>0.05. The major drivers of green building materials adoption in construction are; resource efficiency, reduction in the lifecycle costs of buildings, legislation / legal requirement, financial incentives, and cost reduction, the Resource efficiency is ranked 1st with RH of 0.972 while Developing regulatory mechanisms is the least with RH of 0.473 of Driver of GBM Adoption in NCI. Also, higher costs of green building construction, lack of professional knowledge and expertise in green building, lack of importance attached to green building technology by senior management, lack of financing schemes such as bank loans, and lack of government incentive are the major barriers to the adoption of green building materials in construction, the Barrier to Green Building Materials Adoption in Construction is highest in Higher expenses of Green buildings construction and lowest in Lengthy repayment timeframes from implementing GBT with 0.99 and 0.50 respectively. Provision of incentives to encourage innovation in sustainable construction, rigorous green building promotion by government, use of technologies that permit the deconstruction and recycling of the building components, and adequate training centres with adequate funding of research and development; were the strategies for improving the adoption of green building materials, strategies to improve GBM uptake has 0.99 RH value, ranked 1st Establishment of enticements to inspire invention in sustainable construction and 0.70 RH value for Provision of Sustainable Materials Selection Criteria which is ranked the least. It was concluded that there is a very strong and positive relationship between level of awareness and adoption of GBM and was recommended that appropriate legislations should be put in place by the Nigerian government to encourage the adoption of green building practices in the construction industry with support from top stakeholders and the provision of financial and other incentive to encourage the adoption of GBM.