Adoption of Local Technology and Materials for Sustainable Green Buildings in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Adopting local building technology and materials for sustainable green buildings in Nigeria is a critical endeavour that aligns with the sustainable development goals (SGDs 11) which addresses sustainable cities development. The study investigates impact of local technology and materials (LTM) in the building construction practices in Southwest, Nigeria. A purposive sampling survey method was adopted using questionnaires from 100 professionals in the construction experts. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for mean ranking and Kruskal-Wallis (H-test) estimates for comparison of perspectives on LTM. The results show that job creation (M=4.08) and improved domestic economy (M=4.06) are the main economic and social benefits of LTM. Although, challenges such as lack of skilled labour, resistance to adoption, and limited awareness are apparent, yet, many of the experts showed willingness to adopt LTM in future projects. Based on mean rankings, strategies for promoting use of LTM are training programs for architects, engineers, and construction workers (M=4.05), local communities’ participation (M=4.02), and scaling technology and materials (M=4.01). The study recommends inclusive training programs for architects, engineers, and construction workers on the use of LTMs for sustainable buildings. Creating enabling environment for adopting LTM requires a deeper integration of industry professionals for better acceptability.