Barriers and Benefits of ICT Adoption in the Nigerian Construction Industry. A Comprehensive Literature Review (original) (raw)
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Information Technology (IT) has been applied by various industries with significant improvement in the practice and strategic standing of the industries. Its successful application is evident in manufacturing, petroleum, banking, aerospace and military industries. However, despite this evidential benefit as a result of IT adoption, delayed receipt of project information and/or loss of the project data/information are still prevalent in the Nigerian construction industry. To reduce these inefficiencies in the data management of the industry, this study investigates the medium of project information exchange and examine the order of IT adoption in the Nigerian Construction industry. A quantitative approach using questionnaire survey was employed. Structured questionnaires were distributed among quantity surveyors in contracting, consulting and public sector. The resultant data was analyzed using descriptive statistical tool. The results revealed the dominance of the paper-based medium over the use of IT tools in information acquisition and dissemination in the construction industry. About three-quarter of drawings, specifications and schedules were acquired through printed copy (paper based), and only about one-tenth of these information were acquired through email and disk/flash. While about four-fifth of the bills of quantities, claims and final account documents/information were being disseminated through the traditional paper-based printed copy, and less than one-tenth of these information are being disseminated through email and disk/flash. The order of IT adoption and use in information acquisition in the Nigerian Construction industry was found to be paper based medium, then followed by online medium, email and others (mobile) came third and fourth respectively, while disk/flash and came fifth and sixth in ranking. Furthermore, in contrast to the order of IT adoption and use in information acquisition in the Nigerian Construction industry, paper-based and disk/flash medium came first and second in order of information dissemination. Emails and online medium came 3rd and 4th in place, while fax and others (such as mobile phone), came 5th and 6th in adoption and use. Thus, for construction professionals in developing countries to reap the benefit of IT, it must go beyond the use of paper based medium to the use of IT tools for the acquisition and dissemination of information in the industry.
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The construction industry in Nigeria plays a crucial role in national development, but it faces persistent challenges, such as inefficiencies, project delays, and cost overruns. The adoption of Information Technology (IT) offers a promising solution to these challenges by improving project management, communication, and productivity. This study examines the level of IT adoption among Nigerian construction firms, focusing on the impact of firm size, professional affiliations, and years of industry experience on technological integration. A total of 287 responses were collected through structured questionnaires distributed via Kobo Toolbox and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results reveal that larger firms are more likely to adopt advanced IT tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and project management software, while smaller firms tend to rely on cost-effective solutions like cloud storage and file-sharing services. Builders and engineers exhibit higher IT adoption levels compared to architects and quantity surveyors, reflecting their increased reliance on technology for project management and design. Additionally, professionals with 11-15 years of experience demonstrate the highest IT adoption, likely due to their leadership roles and exposure to evolving technological trends. The findings underscore the need for targeted strategies to bridge the technology adoption gap, particularly among small- and medium-sized firms and less technology-driven professional groups, to enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of Nigeria9s construction sector.
In the competitive market of the construction industry, construction firms attempt to implement projects within the least cost and time, and the highest quality. One of the factors that has been established to affect these parameters is the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) Many ICT platforms have been developed to help in execution of projects. Kenyan construction firms have attempted to utilize several of them. However, many of the contractors have not managed to adopt many of the available ICT platforms This research explored the factors that hinder the Kenyan building contractors from achieving higher levels of ICT adoption. Eighty construction firms were selected mainly in class NCA1 and NCA2 through sampling. Practitioners directly involved in project implementation within various construction firms were interviewed to establish the factors that hinder them from achieving higher levels of this ICT adoption. The responses were analyzed and a narrative interpretation developed which established that the most prevalent factor hindering adoption is the rapid changes in ICT technologies, high cost of employing ICT professionals, satisfaction with the existing method of working, Inadequate knowledge about return on ICT investment, high cost of training ICT professionals and inadequate financial resources.
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Borneo Journal of Social Science and Humanities, 2020
Construction projects are data and information-laden, and there is the need to adopt and implement innovative ICT facilities in managing the volume of data and information generated; which hitherto are poorly handled. This is vital to exploit the opportunities presented by the strength that evolve from ICT adoption in corporate businesses. This study aims to assess the benefits of innovative ICT facilities adoption in construction project delivery in Nigeria. The study employed quantitative data gathered through well-structured self-administered questionnaires to solicit information from construction professionals in the study area. With 68.28 percent response rate, frequencies, percentages, mean item score and Kruskal Wallis test were employed to analyze the gathered data. The most important benefits of ICT deployment in construction are increased productivity of employees, reduces mistakes/errors in contract documents, time-saving, enhanced marketability and competitiveness and ease of doing complex tasks. Also, no significant difference in the perception of construction professionals regarding the benefits of innovative ICT deployment in construction was observed. Construction organizations would need to embrace the benefits of ICT by adopting innovative facilities to boost performance and increase visibility and market share. Adequate plans and budget should be provided to reap the strategical, tactical and operational benefits of adopting innovative ICT solutions in construction project delivery.