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One of the major reasons for ineffective project delivery in the Nigerian construction industry is the improper assessment of risk factors. As a result, the industry continues to suffer poor performance with many projects failing to meet time and cost targets. This paper identifies the risk factors inherent in different building procurement methods and assesses their perceived relative importance with a view to evaluating their impact on project cost. The paper reports on a study carried out through a questionnaire survey of professionals within the construction industry in order to asses the relative importance placed on risk factors. Responses from the survey were analysed using relative importance index for the purpose of evaluating the impact of risk on projects cost. Data were collected on selected completed projects and analysed using frequencies, mean values and relative important index. The main risk factors identified are finance and political influence. A model was developed by relating the variation between the initial contract estimate and the actual project cost to the risk variables. From the analysis, the percentages of projects cost overrun due to the impact of risk were established for each procurement method investigated. The paper recommends that contingency additions should be based on the procurement method used.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the performance of quantity surveying firms (QSFs) using the balanced scorecard (BSC) technique.

Based on a survey of 37 QSFs in Lagos State, Nigeria, the paper empirically assessed the performance of QSFs using the BSC technique. The targeted respondents were principal partners and quantity surveyor employees in the selected QSFs and relevant construction stakeholders, including clients, architects, builders and structural engineers, who usually have business relation with QSFs.

The findings of this paper revealed high levels of performance in non-financial measures of the BSC dimensions while low level performance is recorded in financial measure.

The exemplified performance measures allow QSFs’ managers to set their own priorities and to seek out improvements along the BSC dimensions of performance measure. The high performance recorded in non-financial perspectives needs to be sustained while a lot of efforts need to be put in place in order to improve the financial performance, thereby sustaining their viability.

This paper contributes methodologically through the application of a balance and all-encompassing principles in assessing performance. The use of this measure enables QSFs to structure a balance assessment of their operation, to identify their strengths and weakness, and to target areas for improvement in order to reach their desired business goals.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the competence of Nigerian quantity surveyors with a view to identify and assess required areas of interest.

A structured questionnaire was administered among relevant groups of respondent (quantity surveyors, architects, engineers, builders and clients) in Nigeria. The respondents were asked to give rating, on a five-point Likert scale, on the required competencies (variables) expected of Nigerian quantity surveyors. A mean item score statistical analysis was used to rank the variables and compare them within the different groups. The analysis was undertaken using the Statistical Packages for Social Science tool. In exploring the underlying relationship among the competence requirement, factor analysis statistical technique was used to categorize them into key components.

The results of the study identified required competencies and factorized them into three components. These are as follows: procurement and value management; commercial management; and communication and entrepreneurship.

The findings provide insight into the competencies needed to be incorporated and/or intensified in the training of quantity surveyors in Nigeria.

The opportunities that the building information modeling (BIM) mode of project delivery presents warrant the need for the construction professionals to be adequately trained on BIM technology and processes. The purpose of this paper is to assess the training gaps that exist between the perceived and expected knowledge of BIM practice among construction professionals in Nigeria.

The study was carried out through a structured questionnaire survey administered on identifying training gaps among registered Nigerian construction professionals toward BIM adoption. Relevant information on the perceived and expected BIM mode of practices was systematically collected from 212 participants who are familiar with BIM concepts. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics and gap analysis.

Gap analysis was employed in determining the significance of BIM training gap for various practices among the construction professionals. The most significant gaps in BIM practice with gap analysis value>1 are the project review technique and clash detection for architectural practice. Among quantity surveyors, cost estimating, preparation of bills of quantities and project budgeting are the practice areas where there are significant training gaps in adopting BIM. For engineering practices, the gap analysis reveals a significant training gap in design creation and coordination, as-built-modeling, clash detection and space management.

The research is limited to the perception of the respondents on actual and ideal BIM practices, not considering the process workflow, facility requirements and other issues that revolve round BIM adoption and implementation. It is also limited to professionals in the industry, and further studies will be appropriate to address these limitations.

The study reveals that there is a great need to meet the training gaps for BIM adoption in ensuring efficiency of construction project delivery.

The gaps that exist between the actual and expected BIM training were statistically established.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting quantity surveyors’ competence with a view to reducing them to key components.

The research adopts a data reduction system using the factor analysis statistical technique. A structured questionnaire was administered among major stakeholders in the Nigerian construction industry. The respondents were asked to give ratings on a 5-point Likert scale on factors affecting the competence of quantity surveyors. Based on the identified 11 factor variables, factor analysis was used to explore and detect the underlying relationship among the identified variables. Important measures such as Bartlett’s test of sphericity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling accuracy and measure of sampling adequacy were used to test the appropriateness of the factor extraction.

The data reduction results in three key factor components: organization structure and team development, industrial exposure and route of educational training.

The findings provide a considerable insight into the issue of factors affecting quantity surveyors’ competence and could have considerable implications on the training of quantity surveyors in Nigeria.

The paper provides information on major factors influencing the competence of quantity surveyors and the resulting implications on the training, development and practice of quantity surveying in Nigeria.

University-industry collaboration (UIC) is a symbiosis relationship, brought about through knowledge and resource sharing, with the attendant benefits of innovation and technological advancement. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the state of UIC in quantity surveying profession in Nigeria with a view to ascertaining the situation and chatting the way forward.

Using quantitative survey research approach, primary data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires on quantity surveying academia and practitioners. A total of 126 respondents were sampled: 52 university lecturers and 74 quantity surveying firms. Of these, 32 university lecturers (61.54%) and 34 quantity surveying firms (45.95%) provided valid responses. In all, this amounts to 52.38% response rate. The quantitative data obtained were analysed using mean score, frequency distribution, percentage and Mann Whitney test.

The findings show that collaboration is very strong in the areas of student industrial placement and research cooperation between students and academic researchers. However, collaboration in the areas of funding and staff exchange was found to be lagging behind.

The findings indicate strong collaboration areas (student industrial placement and research cooperation) to be sustained as well as weak areas (funding and staff exchange) to be critically looked into.

The paper represents the first research to empirically assess the state of UIC in quantity surveying profession in Nigeria. In addition, it shows the areas where efforts should be concentrated in maximizing the benefit of UIC.

Stress has become an important topic in the academic environment. However, studies on academic stress among built environment students have received little attention. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to assess the causes of academic stress, and its coping strategies among built environment undergraduate students in public higher education institution (HEI) in Nigeria.

An extensive literature review was conducted to identify the causes of academic stress and its coping strategies among the students in HEIs, using quantity surveying students as a case. Primary data were elicited through questionnaire survey administered on 189 quantity surveying students in Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. A total of 169 copies of the questionnaire were returned and suitable for analysis. The data obtained were analyzed using the mean score and t-test.

The study identified 27 causes of students’ academic stress, and the analysis of the total ranking revealed that 8 out of 27 causes of academic stress were considered important. The results of t-test indicated that except for 5 out of 27 identified causes of student academic stress, there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of male and female students. The study further identified 30 coping strategies employed by students in dealing with academic stress, out of which six identified coping strategies were considered important. In addition, the results of t-test revealed that except for 11 out of 30 identified coping strategies, there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of male and female students surveyed.

The identification of the important causes of academic stress and its coping strategies among the students in the public higher education will be useful for the university management to formulate policies toward providing a well-balanced academic environment that is conducive to better learning. In addition, policy recommendations are proposed.

The findings will help the academic staff and university management to design and implement policies toward refining the teaching procedures in higher education. Also, this study would be of great value to academic staff and university administrators to develop a framework for incorporating stress coping strategies in the higher education curriculum. This study is important as not many empirical studies relating to academic stress and its coping strategies have been conducted in the built environment disciplines.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for assessing quantity surveyors’ competence level.

Delphi survey research approach was adopted for the study. This involved a survey of panel of experts, constituted among registered quantity surveyors in Nigeria, and obtaining from them a consensus opinion on the issues relating to the assessment of quantity surveyors’ competence. In total, 27 out of the shortlisted 38 member panel provided valid results in the two rounds of Delphi survey conducted. A conceptual framework linking educational training, professional capability and professional development is developed.

The findings establish the ratings of the identified three competence criteria. On a scale of 0–100 percent rating, educational training was scored 34.04 percent, professional capability 45.22 percent and professional development 20.74 percent.

The proposed framework provide a conceptual approach in assessing quantity surveyor overall competence. Specifically, it demonstrates the significance of the identified three competence criteria groupings in the training, practice and development of quantity surveying profession. It could therefore serves as foundation of on how quantity surveyors are trained, developed and evaluated.

This chapter explores the adverse effects of COVID-19 lockdown on Nigerian households and offers suggestions for tackling the household conflicts, which is relevant to the society, and its contributions towards the broad economic activities in Nigeria. It adopts a conceptual approach, relying on extant literature and other relevant materials. The research draws on these references to project a model of the critical effects of COVID-19 faced by Nigerian households during COVID-19 pandemic. The study highlights the fundamental issues responsible for conflict among households in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Also, it unearths learning about the critical sources of household conflict; and explores the effects on households in Nigeria due to the lockdown. Weak enforcement of the provision of extant laws to curb domestic violence in Nigeria and inadequate punishments prescribed in the laws to discourage household conflicts. The chapter concludes with the need for a better legal framework that can regulate household conflicts. It, also, emphasises on increased government effort to intervene in household challenges, especially during an emergent issue such as COVID-19 pandemic. The study also suggested the need for a broad social services structure in Nigeria that can provide social security to households during an unexpected emerging situation such as COVID-19. The Violence Against Persons laws should be stringently enforced to discourage violence, to protect members of every household in Nigeria and to compensate the victims adequately for any loss or injury suffered due to violation of their rights.

The lockdown and physical distancing precautions to curtail the increase of COVID-19 in Africa nearly shut down economies across the continent, caused slow trade, and triggered mass poverty. Hence, the need for Africa to be interconnected with the world economy by reforming its legal systems for swift post-COVID-19 economic recovery, to utilise the legal system in addressing socio-economic shocks. The weaknesses in Africa's legal systems in response to socio-economic shocks uncovered a critical threat to humanity, despite efforts, limited resources and strategies put in place. This research adopts a library-based doctrinal legal research technique with a critical review and conceptual approach by relying on the existing literature. The aim is to explore the potency of the existing legal frameworks, such as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the Economic Community of West African States Protocol, to combat socio-economic shocks in Africa's Economy. The study carries out a comparative appraisal of the legal system in Ghana, Angola, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria for useful insights in suggesting conversion of the pandemic to blessings by reforming their legal systems to embrace technologies to guarantee speedy economic recovery strategies. The study proposes a model for speedy economic recovery via legal instruments to support commercial activities. It ends with recommendations such as the reformation of the legal system to mitigate jobs losses and embrace technologies. Adopting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, strict implementation of African Continental Free Trade Agreement for economic resilience against future economic shocks.