Construction Waste Management Practices and Contributing Factors in the Building Industry in North-West Nigeria

Kaura Halima Tijjani

Abstract


This study assessed construction waste management practices and identified the key factors contributing to construction waste generation in the building industry in North-West Nigeria. A mixed-method explanatory sequential design was adopted, integrating quantitative survey data with qualitative interview findings. A structured questionnaire validated and pilot-tested (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85) was administered to 232 respondents comprising 165 registered builders, 39 waste management experts, and 28 regulatory officials across the seven states of the zone, selected through stratified random sampling. A semi-structured interview protocol was administered to 67 purposively selected participants in the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and one-way ANOVA, while qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo 15, with triangulation employed to validate and deepen the quantitative findings. Results showed that construction waste management practices across all eight dimensions of the waste management cycle were inadequate, with an overall grand mean of 2.78 (SD = 0.84). Qualitative themes confirmed informal disposal, absent recycling activity, and weak regulatory enforcement as the dominant practice characteristics. All ten leading waste generation factors were strongly agreed upon, with demolition rework (mean = 4.55), inaccurate material estimation (mean = 4.53), and poor material handling (mean = 4.52) as the most critical. Qualitative data further confirmed poor site management and procurement inaccuracies as the most persistently cited generation drivers. Significant inter-group differences were established on both waste management practices (F = 8.204, p = .000) and waste generation factors (F = 6.813, p = .001). The study recommends mandatory site waste management planning and targeted professional capacity building as immediate priorities. 


Full Text:

PDF

References


Ajayi, O. M., Koleoso, H. A., Soyingbe, A. A., & Oladiran, O. J. (2008). The practice of waste management in construction sites in Lagos State, Nigeria. RICS COBRA 2008 Conference, Dublin Institute of Technology.

Aule, T. T., Jide, A. K., Ikharia, I. S., Tijjani, I. N., Saleem, A. F., & Aule, S. I. (2025). Towards optimizing building material utilization: Strategies for mitigating wastage on construction sites in Nigeria. FNAS Journal of Basic and Environmental Research, 2(2), 135-142.

Bayewun, A. A., Oladiran, O. J., & Aderogba, A. M. (2023). Environmental waste management practices on construction sites: Influencing factors and benefits. Journal of Sustainable Technology, 12(1), 86-104.

Chukwumaobi, I. (2025). Estimated waste generation in Nigeria's construction industry. Index of IEOM Society. https://index.ieomsociety.org/index.cfm/article/view/ID/12549

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

Dania, A. A., Larsen, G. D., & Kehinde, J. O. (2021). Construction material waste management practices among construction firms in Nigeria. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 29, e00299.

Dawood, N., Miller, G., Patacas, J., & Kassem, M. (2021). BIM for waste management in construction projects. Automation in Construction, 124, 103553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2021.103553

Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607-610.

Ogunmakinde, O. E., Egbelakin, T., & Sher, W. (2022). Contributions of the circular economy to the UN sustainable development goals through sustainable construction. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 178, 106023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106023

Otali, M., & Adewuyi, T. O. (2025). Causes of construction material waste in building projects in Rivers State, Nigeria. International Journal of Construction Management, 25(3), 201-213.

Yohanna, P., Ayuba, P., & Manu, N. (2023). Construction waste management in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 11(1), 12-28.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.