45 research outputs found
A survey on the use and impact of information technology in quantity surveying service delivery in Nigeria
No full textThe construction industry has recently witnessed a paradigm shift from traditional paper-based method of service delivery to electronic information exchange using Information Technolog (IT), at least in the western world like UK. It is now evident that the adoption of IT can enhance construction productivity and improve communications for effective decision-making and coordination among construction participants. The ability of the industry to avail itself of technology depends on the level of usage by construction participants including the Quantity Surveyor (QS) who plays a major role in the management of project success determinants, such as cost, time and quality. This research therefore evaluates the level of adoption of IT by QS in Nigeria and its impact in discharging their professional obligations to achieve improved service delivery. A review of the relevant literature using published sources was conducted to identify the current state and use of IT in the industry in various parts of the world. In order to assess the level of adoption of technology by QS in Nigeria and to evaluate its impact on their service delivery, data collected through questionnaires administered to practicing professionals were analysed and subsequently ranked using their mean item score (MIS) and the Kruskal Wallis H test. The research revealed that despite the average to high awareness of the importance of IT in improving service delivery and productivity, QS in Nigeria are still reluctant in using these technologies mainly due to the high initial cost of acquisition; lack of infrastructures to support its use and security concerns such as the susceptibility of IT system. It is concluded that the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors should act as a champion in raising the awareness of IT among its members and the Government should provide an enabling environment for its importation and usage
Framework for managing risk in privately financed market projects in Nigeria
No full textShortage of funds and the need to improve the living standards of the people are among
the reasons advanced for the recent embrace of Public Private Partnership (PPP)
arrangements in developing markets in Nigeria. Construction work generally, and
especially projects procured using PPP arrangement are more risk prone than those
procured using other forms. This is mainly due to the lengthy concession period and the
multi-parties involved in the arrangement. It is therefore, an imperative to properly
manage the multi-faceted risks associated with PPP market projects (MPs) in a
developing economy like Nigeria.
Review of the extant literature show that little has been done on risk management in
PPP projects in Nigeria with no known effort on PPP MPs. This is due largely to the
novelty of the PPP scheme in Nigeria. The main contribution of this research therefore,
is better understanding of the risk management process in privately financed (PF) MPs
in Nigeria. A holistic risk management framework is developed that identifies best
practices in the risk management process with special emphasis on market projects. The
structure specifies what should be done, who should do it and when it should be done
throughout the whole life cycle of any PPP market project. Risks in (PF) MPs and their
impacts were identified and assessed; allocation preferences of practitioners and
mitigation measures to the risks were also assessed within the south-western part of the
country
Data for the study was collected through a mixed methods approach viz: quantitative
and qualitative approaches. Questionnaires were administered to practitioners in the
industry within the south-western zone of the country to gain general idea on risks that
are likely to occur and affect PF MPs within the region. In-depth interviews were also
conducted with stakeholders on three PF MPs in the region. Descriptive and inferential
statistics were employed to analyse data for the study.
The research identified inadequate knowledge of risk management concept in the
Nigerian construction industry; especially in PPP projects, as being responsible for the
poor performance of PPP projects using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) - i.e. people,
profit, and planet - as yardstick. It is believed that the framework will serve as a useful
tool for rapidly learning about the risks involved in PPP market projects and for
understanding viable options for their effective management
Community structure and timing of sexual activity among adolescent girls in Nigeria
No full textFunding: This research was supported by funding from the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), awarded to OS. CARTA is jointly led by the African Population and Health Research Center and the University of the Witwatersrand and funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (Grant No. G-19-57145), Sida (Grant No:54100113), Uppsala Monitoring Center, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and by the Wellcome Trust [reference no. 107768/Z/15/Z] and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with support from the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programme. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.Studies have linked the timing of sexual debut to unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmissible infections, including HIV. Current understandings of sexual debut among Nigerian adolescents focused on the roles of individual and familial characteristics. We leveraged the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data to examine how community features like affluence, ethnic diversity, and women empowerment may be associated with the timing of sexual debut among adolescent girls. The sample comprised 7449 adolescent girls who were usual residents in 6,505 households and 1,352 clusters or communities. Statistical associations between community characteristics and the onset of sexual debut were assessed using a two-level mixed-effects parametric survival model with Weibull distribution. We found that community affluence [aHR:0.43, 95%CI: 0.30–0.62] and community ethnic diversity [aHR: 0.63, 95%CI: 0.42–0.94] are associated with a lower hazard of sexual debut among adolescent girls. We also observed that women that married within the observation period had an earlier sexual initiation than those who were unmarried. The results disaggregated by marital status further shows that higher community level of women’s employment [aHR: 2.45, 95%CI: 1.38–4.38] and women’s education [aHR:1.85, 95%CI: 1.03–3.33] were associated with a higher hazard of sexual debut among unmarried adolescent girls but not married adolescent girls. Higher community affluence [aHR:0.40, 95%CI: 0.27–0.60] was also associated with a lower hazard of sexual debut among unmarried adolescent girls but not married adolescent girls. Our results illuminate the associated factors of the timing of sexual debut among adolescent girls that moves beyond individual characteristics to community characteristics.Peer reviewe
A PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SUCCESS FACTORS IN CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN NIGERIA
No full textConstruction firms are knowledge-intensive organisations as employees use knowledge in their day to day activities; however, managing this knowledge is essential for improved service delivery. Knowledge Management (KM) has been affirmed to be of great benefit and improve the performance of organisations and particularly quantity surveying firms in Nigeria so, therefore, the need to assess the factors critical to the implementation of KM. Quantitative data was collected through the use of questionnaire from eighty-six quantity surveyors from quantity surveying firms in the southwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria which comprises of six states using census sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data collected, and the result discussed. Mean Item Score was used to rank the factors while data reduction technique was used to ascertain the factors critical to the implementation of KM. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were conducted before the data were subjected to principal component analysis and the results indicated that the data set is suitable for factor analysis. Five constructs of CSF, namely; Organisation and Leadership, Resources, Management involvement, Information technology and culture were developed from the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with a significant value ranging from 0.524 - 0.776. The reliability of each construct was tested using Cronbach Alpha coefficient, and the values arrived at are; 0.87, 0.885, 0.882, 0.903 and 0.749 respectively. The study revealed that the significance of KM critical success factors is well acknowledged by quantity surveyors in quantity surveying firms and the findings contributed to knowledge by introducing five factors critical to the success of KM. The study recommends that these factors should be given adequate attention for successful KM implementation in quantity surveying firms in Nigeria
Investigation into the causes of delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in developing countries
No full textPurpose: The land is a critical resource for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in infrastructure development. However, acquisition of land for PPP infrastructure projects implementation increasingly becomes problematic in developing countries. Yet, effort at investigating the factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP infrastructure projects through an empirical method in developing countries received scant attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and critically assess the factors predisposing PPP projects implementation to land acquisition delay in Nigeria using an empirical approach.
Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted literature review and questionnaire survey. For instance, literature review was used to identify the factors causing delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in developing countries, which was used to design the questionnaire survey culminating in data analysis. In order to capture a broad perception, the questionnaires were administered to three different primary stakeholder groups comprised public sector authorities (i.e. ministries, department, agencies), concessionaires, and lenders/banks involved in PPP projects implementation in Nigeria. Data collected were analysed using mean score, Kruskal-Wallis test, and factor analysis.
Findings: The study revealed the mean score ranking of 22 identified factors causing a delay in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria. The result of factor analysis grouped the 22 identified factors into 4 principal factors namely, resettlement issues with political interference; non-availability of land with a higher cost of land transactions; weak planning institutions; and rehabilitation issues with extensive legal delays.
Practical implication: These study findings have implications for both policymakers considering PPP projects and private investors seeking to finance a PPP project in developing countries. Also, the study findings would be useful for the governments in Nigeria and other developing countries to formulate clear policies framework that facilitates the smooth acquisition of land for PPP projects.
Originality/value: The study will be beneficial to the potential local and foreign private investors, and governments by broadening their awareness on impediments in land acquisition for PPP projects in Nigeria and developing countries at large. These study findings are crucial as not many empirical studies have been conducted in Nigeria, and many other developing countries
MANAGING RISK IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY OF NIGERIA
No full textTourism is the fourth largest industry in the global economy. In 2009 the industry was described by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as an industry that helps promote peace and stability in developing countries through its jobs provision, income generation, economy diversification, environment protection and promotion of cross-cultural awareness. However, due to inherent risks in terms of some key issues, in tourism development projects, all efforts made by successive governments in Nigeria to develop this important sector of the economy have yielded few positive results. Although there had been several studies on tourism in developing countries, little is known to exist on managing risk in tourism development projects in Nigeria. The main objective of the paper therefore is to provide better understanding of risk and its management in tourism development in Nigeria. Through a sequential mixed-method approach involving a qualitative/quantitative sequence, this paper reveals that a shortage of infrastructure; poor market demand; immature financial markets; and lack of competent manpower were among the significant risk factors affecting successful development of tourism in Nigeria. The paper also identified effective mitigation measures for these risk factors. It is recommended that every stakeholder involved in tourism development projects must be involved in risk management (i.e. in identifying, analysing, developing responses, and controlling risk). Moreover, risk management should also be integrated with the decision-making processes in managing tourism development projects, as risk management reveals the rationales for making appropriate decisions
Analysis of the force to contain a constant-cross-section flow channel in pouch samples
No full textPouches with frangible seals are used for on-demand and precise mixing of two or more
ingredients. The seals reliably and temporarily separate these ingredients until combining them is
required for a reaction. The study evaluates the range of forces required to maintain a complete
seal with sufficient pressure on a wax-printed lateral flow assay which is inserted into the pouch.
For a complete seal between the layers, red dye was used to indicate fluid seepage between
patterns of wax barriers on the flow strip.
In the experiment described, test forces were placed on the burst pouch such that it acted directly
on the dyed filter pad. With each force applied, observation of dye leaching into the surrounding
liquid indicated whether the seal was intact during the flow test. Data obtained from 50 tests of
the force on the filter pad was tabulated and plotted on a histogram.
The experiment’s result showed that the forces between 0.3N and 0.5N were the optimal for
creating a complete seal between layers in the pouch sample. Forces that were lower than 0.3N
resulted in dye leakage because the applied forces on the filter pad did not make a complete seal.
Forces applied higher than 0.5N resulted in dye leakage only after the applied force was removed
from the filter pad
Opportunities and challenges of foreign direct investment utilisation and its impact on construction sector in developing countries
No full textForeign direct investment (FDI) inflows to both developed and developing countries have increased over the past three decades. However, investigation of opportunities and challenges associated with FDI on the host economy and its impact especially on the construction sector through empirical assessment, have received scant attention. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in knowledge within the Nigerian context; and examine the trend of FDI inflows to the construction sector for the period 2000-2013 inclusive. Relationships between contributions of the construction sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are also studied.
The study adopted a literature review, a questionnaire survey, and archival data culminated in data analysis. The survey targeted financial experts in Nigerian financial institutions/local banks. Archival data included the annualised data extracted from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletins. The period examined witnessed stable economic conditions. Data collected were analysed using mean score, factor analysis, and correlation.
Eight identified opportunities of utilising FDI were group into three principal factors: knowledge spillovers; capital for new investment; and resilience during financial crises. The 10 identified FDI challenges were grouped into three major factors: loss of ownership advantage and additional costs; crowding-out of national firms; and administrative bottleneck and overdependence. Based on the hypotheses tested, the study found a significant relationship between the contributions of FDI inflows in the construction sector and the total GDP of the host country.
This study provides greater insight on the effects of FDI on a host economy in developing countries, which would help policymakers to examine existing policies, and look for new ways of increasing foreign investment flow, especially in the area of Construction Facility Investment (CFI).
This study is important because it would enable policymakers in developing countries at large to promote FDI with special considerations for the construction sector of the economy
