Browsing by Author "Soliu, Idris"

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    Analysis of tendering strategies on the survival of contracting firms in Nigeria.
    (Faculty of Environmental Studies University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria., 2015) Olowa, Theophilus; Soliu, Idris; Olorunoje, Lukman
    In a competitive tendering situation, contractors constantly face the dilemma of submitting a high price to maximize profit with the possibility of failing to win the contract and thereby suffering a shortage of work. Alternatively, the contractor may submit low prices which wins contract, but show very little or no profit margin. A bidding strategy may be evolved for determining the optimum bid, which will be the relationship between maximum profit and the possibility of being the lowest tenderer (Ashworth, 2002). With the introduction of due process in the procurement of works in the country, especially the public contracts, and the multiplicity of contracting firms, it has become very expedient for contractors to find a way of surviving in the highly competitive environment construction market. The aim of the study is to examine the use of tendering strategies by construction firms in Nigeria as a survival strategy. This study uses cross sectional survey research design to examine the common subjective winning tendering strategies among construction contracting firms in Nigeria. Findings show that Client long term gain or losses which include other sub-factors like amount of work the client carries out regularly, the amount of repeat business level that the client has been following, the client's possible effect by giving recommendations in referral markets, the relationship between the company and the decision makers in the owner's institution and the possibility of solving problems that may occur during work and the client's general procedures to awarding the contracts was identified as the most important factors in tendering decision and percent mark-up to be added to base estimates; tendering strategies/models were rarely used in determining the appropriate mark-up to be allowed for in a tender by contracting firms. However, a few firms do use it with no observed marked difference from those that do not. Respondents identified the unsuitability of tendering models as survival strategies in the Nigerian construction industry as a major factor that negates the use of the different tendering models. A greater proportion of them believe that they were not designed for our kind of environment where reliable data are difficult to come by. It was recommended that when considering tenders for construction projects, contracting firms should give primary attention to client’s long-term gains or losses. This factor should also be weighed when deciding on the most suitable mark-up size for tenders.
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    Awareness of Factors Contributing to Sustainable Construction in Nigeria
    (International Journal of Real Estate Studies, 2020-06-21) Ganiyu, Amuda-Yusuf; Maimuna, Orire Abdulraheem; Wasiyu, Mayowa Raheem; Ranti, Taibat Adebiyi; Soliu, Idris; Stephen, Eyinaya Eluwa
    The need to slow down climate change and global warming has made sustainable development major issue among policy makers and world leaders. Awareness on sustainability concept among industry practitioners is crucial in influencing design, materials selection and construction methods. The aim of this study is to examine the level of awareness on key sustainability concepts and factors that influence their adoption during construction by practitioners in Nigeria. Through an online survey, 120 copies of semi-structured questionnaire were administered on built environment practitioners such as architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and builders working in client, contracting, consulting and academia with 77% response rate. Factorial two-way ANOVA was performed to examine if there are differences in the level of awareness of factors contributing to sustainable construction among the groupings. Also, binomial logit regression analysis was adopted in predicting the factors that significantly influence adoption of sustainability concept among practitioners in construction industry. The study revealed that professionals from client organization recorded highest (3.8) mean score in terms of awareness on sustainability concept followed by those from academia (3.6), consulting (3.0) and contracting (2.2). In terms of factors that significantly influence adoption of sustainability concept during construction, findings from the study revealed that academic qualification (β =2.226, p <0.05) and type of organization (β =1.127, p p<0.05) significantly influence adoption of sustainability concept during construction. Practitioners with high academic qualification and those from client organization, exhibited high level of awareness on sustainability concept, this equally influenced their adoption of key elements of sustainability (site planning, energy efficiency, water efficiency, renewable energy, resource conservation, material reuse, indoor environmental quality) during construction. The determination of the level of awareness and adoption of factors contributing to sustainable construction by practitioners will serve as guide to industry practitioners regarding issues to integrate into design and construction project from inception to completion. To improve awareness of sustainable practices in the industry, stakeholders should direct efforts towards organizing seminars, conferences and workshops centered on sustainable construction through the various professional bodies at state and local government levels.
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    IMPERATIVES OF ALIGNING MEASUREMENT STANDARD WITH INFORMATION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
    (The Department of Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria-Nigera, 2016) Amuda Yusuf, Ganiyu; Taibat, Ranti Adebiyi; Ibrahim, Babatunde Oladapo; Soliu, Idris
    The automation of Quantity Surveyors (QS) traditional quantity extraction and estimating process is practicable in Building Information Modelling (BIM). However, the existing measurement standards used by Nigerian Quantity Surveyors (NQS) will not facilitate electronic information exchange among project team because it is not aligned with any local industry classification systems. This paper examined the need for the measurement standard used in Nigeria to follow local information classification system which could enable it coordinate with other local product information and naming conventions. The research method adopted is literature synthesis, cross-country comparison and analysis of the classification systems that were adopted as basis for developing measurement standards in selected countries. This was followed by open ended interviews to experienced QS working in clients, contracting and consulting organisations. Content analysis was used to analyse the interview questions. The study reveals that different countries adopted different classification approaches based on their country specific classification systems in developing their local measurement standards, which in turn aids electronic information coordination among project participants. It was also found that, NQS can develop a measurement standard that could provide basis for the development of local information classification systems. Such standards will promote electronic information exchange among practitioners, facilitate speedy comparative evaluation of alternative design solution; assist in ICT adoption by QS, promote the use of e-procurement of construction project, reduce pre¬construction documentation period, promote transparency in tender evaluation and promote QS ability to work with other project team members. The research suggests that the construction industry practitioners should collaborate and establish an industry-wide information classification systems that could provide basis for a common ICT platform for project team. Such standard should then form basis for measurement standard development by QS and specification documents by architect and engineers.