The Tripartite Dynamic Relationship between Poverty, Unemployment and Construction Sector: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria

The increasing rate of poverty and unemployment in Nigeria has necessitated further efforts towards alternative means of reducing the trend, outside the government’s microeconomic mechanisms. As a sector with multiplier effects on other sectors of economy through its numerous activities, the construction sector is expected to reduce both poverty and unemployment. This study, therefore, examined the relationships between construction sector variables, poverty and unemployment rates in Nigeria. Using socio-economic data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics, United Nations Development Program and World Bank from 1981-2019, the study deployed an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to analyze the relationships between construction sector variables, poverty, and unemployment rates.  It also used Granger causality test to determine the direction of causation between the variables under investigation. The results showed that there are both long-run and short-run dynamic relationships between poverty rate and construction sector variables (F-stat. (3.93) > upper (3.67) and lower (2.79)) bounds. It showed that no long-run balanced relationship exists between the unemployment rate and construction sector variables (F-stat. (2.01) < lower (2.79) and upper (3.67)) bounds. The result further revealed that there are significant and positive linear correlations between construction sector variables, poverty, and unemployment rates; except between construction output and poverty rate, where an insignificant linear relation was established. Nevertheless, the relationships could not result to direct causal effect, except a unidirectional Granger causal relationship that flows from government capital expenditure to construction service recurrent expenditure and construction output, and from construction service recurrent expenditure to construction output. Consequently, the study suggested that construction sector expenditure and output should be directed towards poverty and unemployment reduction. This could be done through the diversification and integration of all construction sub-sectors, particularly the private sector into the nation’s economic equation. Thus, this study would direct the paths of policymakers and construction planners towards the right construction policies and plans that would lead to a reduction in unemployment and poverty rates with a long-term economic transformation in Nigeria

Risks of Implementing Sustainable Construction Practices in the Nigerian Building Industry

This study assessed the risks level associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices through a questionnaire survey distributed to 256 building professionals in Nigeria. It identified 47 risk factors with different likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts.&nbsp; A quantitative risk analysis result based on mean value method and risk prioritisation number showed that the three top-ranked risk factors with highest likelihood of occurrence were unavailability of sustainable materials and equipment, more complex and unfamiliar construction techniques and processes, and high initial sustainable construction costs; whereas the three top-ranked risk factors with highest magnitude of impacts were high initial sustainable construction costs, poor and inefficient communication among project participants, and high cost of sustainable materials and equipment. The criticality index result identified 23 critical risk factors which mostly related to knowledge and awareness, cost, regulatory framework, building materials and socioeconomic issues. However, the Wilcoxon Signed-rank test result indicated that there is significant difference (z = -3.207, p&lt;0.001) between the likelihood of occurrence and magnitude of impacts of the risks factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices in Nigeria of which the effect was moderate (r = 0.468). Furthermore, the study revealed that there is no significance difference in the risk level of the risk factors associated with implementation of sustainable construction practices based on the respondents’ roles (p&gt;0.05). The study, therefore, recommended for training of construction practitioners in the multi-risk management approaches and increasing awareness through education on sustainable construction concept for building industry stakeholders. It further recommended for developing of new sustainable and affordable building materials through research institutes like Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) with appropriate regulatory and policy frameworks for successful sustainable building projects

Ecomusicology: A socioecological dimension towards acoustically sustainable residential buildings

This study examined the socioecological roles of music sounds towards achieving acoustically sustainable residential building. The study adopted a survey research approach where questionnaires were distributed to the occupants of different types of residential buildings in three urban cities of Anambra State Nigeria. The survey data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Software. The results revealed that music plays significant roles towards acoustically sustainable building performance with the overall average mean score index of 4.36 and a range of 3.64 to 4.87. But the three most outstanding roles played by music towards acoustically sustainable building performance were: Enabling pleasant sound environment (4.87), improving quality of relaxation and resting (4.83), and increasing acoustic comfort and satisfaction (4.79). The result of one-way ANOVA revealed that music sounds significantly influence acoustical sustainability performance of residential buildings (p-value (.000) &lt; α (0.05); F-ratio (148.377) &gt; F-critical (3.020)); and that there was no significance difference between opinions of residents of the three urban cities in this regard (p-value (0.713) &gt; α (0.05); F-ratio (0.338) &lt; F-critical (3.020)). This study therefore, canvassed for integration of music principles and acoustics into sustainable building design processes as a way of achieving a sustainable building

Payment of Labour Wage for Construction Site Operations with Safety Risk

The increasing rate of unsafe acts by construction workers during construction operations to earn more wages is raising new concerns due to its negative effects; including accidents on construction sites. This study, therefore, examined the relationship between the level of safety risk in different building construction operations/trades and methods of payment of wages for construction operatives to determine if the wage payment method was predicted by the level of risk in each operation. Prior to this, the study prioritised selected construction operations based on their safety risk level and rated the method of payment of wages for each operation based on their frequency of utilisation. A site-based survey was conducted using structured questionnaire and interview, administered to building tradesmen and labourers in South-East Nigeria. The study identified 12 high-risk level and 7 medium-risk level operations/trades. The study ranked roofing work as the riskiest building operation. It also found that negotiated lump sum, piece rate and time rate wage systems respectively, were the most prevalent wage payment systems in the payment of wages for operatives. Although the study also found that the level of risk has positive effect on the method of payment of wages (β = 0.214; t-stat = 0.640), it revealed that the level of risk involved in each operation/trade does not significantly predict the payment method used in payment of workers’ wages (F-Stat (0.409) &lt; F-Critical (4.451); p (0.531) &gt; 0.05). It identified negotiated lump sum wage payment method as an emerging wage payment system in Nigeria construction industry and suggested for further investigation to unravel the circumstances behind its high acceptance. The study then craved for review of existing labour laws in Nigeria to capture the new trends in the labour management of risky operations on construction sites

An Analysis of the Trends of Foreign Direct Investment Inflows in the Nigerian Construction Sector

Abstract This study performed an analysis on the inflow trends of Foreign Direct Investment investigated in the Nigeria

Digital Transformation in the Nigeria Construction Industry: The Professionals&apos; View

Abstract This study examined the perception of construction professionals and the extent of digital transformation in the Nigeria construction industry. A questionnaire survey was carried out where 84 copies of questionnaires containing information relating to digital technologies trends and transformation were randomly administered to the selected construction professionals in Anambra State Nigeria. 80 were completed, returned and found useful, thus, giving a response rate of 95.24%. Data collected were analysed and presented using mean, percentages, charts and relative importance index (RII). The study revealed that 69% and 12% of the professionals viewed digital transformation as opportunity and threat respectively, whereas; 19% viewed it as both threat and opportunity. It further revealed that 63% were satisfied with their firms&apos; readiness to transform digitally. The study then observed that application of digital technologies among construction firms in the study area was still at infancy due to lack capacity, critical knowledge and digital transformation enthusiasm among managerial teams. It was therefore, evident that digital transformation would help the industry to better its data storage and management capacity, increase employee productivity and gain competitive advantage. The study recommended collaboration between government and relevant regulatory bodies in Nigeria construction industry to workout appropriate roadmap that would position the industry in the right track towards transforming digitally

Antimicrobial Effects of a Lipophilic Fraction and Kaurenoic Acid Isolated from the Root Bark Extracts of Annona senegalensis

Root bark preparation of Annona senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae) is used in Nigerian ethnomedicine for treatment of infectious diseases. Extraction of the A. senegalensis powdered root bark with methanol-methylene chloride (1 : 1) mixture yielded the methanol-methylene extract (MME) which was fractionated to obtain the ethyl acetate fraction (EF). The EF on further fractionation gave two active subfractions, F1 and F2. The F1 yielded a lipophilic oily liquid while F2 on purification, precipitated white crystalline compound, AS2. F1 was analyzed using GC-MS, while AS2 was characterized by proton NMR and X-ray crystallography. Antibacterial and antifungal studies were performed using agar-well-diffusion method with 0.5 McFarland standard and MICs calculated. GC-MS gave 6 major constituents: kaur-16-en-19-oic acid; 1-dodecanol; 1-naphthalenemethanol; 6,6-dimethyl-bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene-2-ethanol; 3,3-dimethyl-2-(3-methylbuta-1,3-dienyl)cyclohexane-1-methanol; 3-hydroxyandrostan-17-carboxylic acid. AS2 was found to be kaur-16-en-19-oic acid. The MICs of EF, F1, and AS2 against B. subtilis were 180, 60, and 30 μg/mL, respectively. AS2 exhibited activity against S. aureus with an MIC of 150 μg/mL, while F1 was active against P. aeruginosa with an MIC of 40 μg/mL. However, the extracts and AS2 exhibited no effects against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. Therefore, kaurenoic acid and the lipophilic fraction from A. senegalensis root bark exhibited potent antibacterial activity

Assessing the adequacy and sustainability performance of multi-family residential buildings in Anambra State, Nigeria

The proliferation of multi-family residential building in Anambra State of Nigeria due to increasing demand without recourse to performance has brought concerns about the adequacy and sustainability of this housing type. This study therefore, assessed the adequacy and sustainability performance of multi-family residential buildings in urban areas of Anambra State. The study sampled the opinions of 384 households living in multi-family residential buildings through a questionnaire survey. We conducted data analysis based on 214 responses that were useful for analysis. The study found that internal and building component variables and supporting neighborhood variables were adequate, but the surrounding environment variables were inadequate based on Mean Score Index. However, based on Sustainability Performance Index, the occupants perceived social sustainability performance of the buildings as satisfactory, while environmental and economic sustainability performance were perceived as fairly satisfactory. The Pearson correlation coefficient result further established that adequacy of internal and building component variables was significantly and positively related to the residents’ perceived social sustainability performance. Adequacy of the surrounding environmental variables was also found to be positively and significantly related to the residents’ perceived environmental sustainability performance, whereas adequacy of supporting neighborhood facilities was found to be negatively and significantly related to the residents’ perceived economic sustainability performance. This suggested that investors and owners of multi-family residential buildings should direct more efforts towards improving the surrounding environment to supplements other facilities and increase the economic benefit of the renters or occupiers with increasing economic sustainability performance in terms of value for money