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Stakeholder perceptions of drivers for, and barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in PPP infrastructure projects in Nigeria

Solomon Olusola Babatunde (Department of Quantity Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria)
Damilola Ekundayo (School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK)
Chika Udeaja (School of the Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University, London, UK)
Uthman Olawande Abubakar (Department of Quantity Surveying, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria)

Open House International

ISSN: 0168-2601

Article publication date: 1 September 2020

Issue publication date: 15 December 2020

341

Abstract

Purpose

Although several studies have been undertaken on sustainability within infrastructure projects, limited attention has paid to the drivers for, and the barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects through empirical study, particularly in Nigeria. Therefore, this study aims to identify and examine the drivers that promote sustainability in Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects and assess the barriers to the full integration of sustainability practices into current Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were collected using a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey was targeted on four different stakeholders’ organizations. They were public sector authorities, concessionaires, consultants and banks already undertaking PPP infrastructure projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. The obtained data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation and the Kruskal–Wallis test.

Findings

The study identified 17 drivers that promote the incorporation of sustainability in PPP infrastructure projects. The analysis of the total ranking of the drivers in Nigeria revealed the top five ranked drivers to be: consideration of long-term performance; contractual arrangements; incentives for new market penetration; award criteria; and selection criteria, respectively. The study further identified 11 barriers to sustainability integration in PPP infrastructure projects and the top five ranked barriers in Nigeria are as follows: comprehensive sustainability procurement guidelines; no enabling environment; education needs; uncertain economic environment; and a lack of clear government policy, respectively. The results of the Kruskal–Wallis test conducted on both the 17 identified drivers for, and the 11 barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in Nigerian PPP infrastructure projects revealed that there is no significant statistical difference in both rankings from the perceptions of the aforementioned four different respondents’ groups.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides empirical insights on the knowledge and awareness of drivers which could lead to a greater uptake in sustainability measures by the stakeholders in Nigerian PPP projects; it also identified barriers to overcome.

Originality/value

The importance of the incorporation of sustainability in public procurement cannot be over-emphasized. It is anticipated that the study will be of great value to PPP stakeholders involved in sustainability decision-making processes when delivering sustainable PPP projects.

Keywords

Citation

Babatunde, S.O., Ekundayo, D., Udeaja, C. and Abubakar, U.O. (2020), "Stakeholder perceptions of drivers for, and barriers to, the incorporation of sustainability in PPP infrastructure projects in Nigeria", Open House International, Vol. 45 No. 4, pp. 373-386. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-05-2020-0037

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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