Developmental Issues in Africa: "A Sustainable
Development Process or A Process of Robbing
Peter to Pay Paul"
(The Nigerian Construction Industry Scenario)
The title of this pape1· is a question f01· which
an answe1· is 1·equh-ed 01· demanded. It p1·e-supposes that in
most Afl"ican countl"ies the1·e had been halting mthe1· than
sustainable pmg1·ess. No wonde1· theref01·e that f01· many
decades now, if not centudes, countl"ies in Afl"ica have
1·emained classified eithe1· as unde1·-developed, developing,
thii·d wodd, name it, even afte1· many yeai"S of
independence. This is not to say that in some instances both
the political and economic decisions 01· policies had not been
sound on some issues intended to 1·emove and 1·esist this
derogato1·y tag but that in many other instances it has been
mbbing Pete1· to pay Paul. Even when we have om· HEADS
and HANDS full of IDEAS and TECHNOLOGIES locally
developed 01· som-ced fmm those who gave us names we do
not want to, 01· should not, answe1· 01· accept, yet we have
ve1·y little to show. The question is why? This paper
the1·ef01·e has tl"ied to look at the scenal"io in the Nigel"ia
Consti·uction Industi·y to see whe1·e the industi·y has been
hitting the ta1·gets in te1·m of development and whe1·e not f01·
whateve1· 1·easons and to pmvoke thoughts and deep
thoughts in the consti·uction industi·y and ueate awa1·eness
in othe1· a1·eas by highlighting avenues fo1· b1·eakthmughs to
1·emove the yoke of unde1·development and, just may be fo1·
once, be in cha1·ge of om· own destinies. P1·e-consti·uction,
consti·uction and post-consti·uction phases of development
all have ti·emendous impact on om· development and
implementation pmgmmmes. This fact we often ign01·e,
both as individuals 01· gove1·nment agencies as shall be seen
in this essay. Ignomnce of this fact is ueating imbalances in
om· development pmgmmmes amounting to mbbing Peter
to pay Paul