Assessing the relationships between underlying strategies for effective building information modeling (BIM) implementation in Nigeria construction industry

Abstract

Effective communication among construction stakeholders has been a serious challenge in the global industry. Implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been established as a useful approach to overcome the challenge. However, lack of a single strategy for effective implementation of BIM tool during construction activities has made its application in a developing nation such as Nigeria to be very slow. Therefore, this paper aims to identify a single strategy that can be used to effectively implement BIM in Nigeria construction industry. This was achieved by conducting a mixed methods research in some selected construction firms located in Abuja the capital city of Nigeria in the year 2019. Interview and questionnaires were the main instruments used for data collection in the mixed methods research design. The findings of the study showed that BIM has not been maximally tapped by construction firms in Nigeria. The finding of the study also revealed that establishment of enforcement bodies that will ensure BIM application in every project is a significant strategy for BIM implementation in Nigeria construction industry. Such finding streamlined several strategies that can be used by project actors to understand the concept of BIM adoption in the study context. This could lead to affordable BIM projects delivery in Nigeria and consequently improve the performance of global construction industry. The study recommends that the underlying strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges of BIM enforcement in Nigeria construction industry should be investigated by prospective BIM researchers.