Prospects of Multiskilling as a Construction Labour Deployment Strategy during Covid-19 Pandemic Postlockdown Era in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Projects in Abuja Municipal Council

Abstract

Construction labour constitute critical resource in nation’s infrastructure delivery. Management of some construction organizations during the post-lockdown era in Nigeria’s federal capital territory (FCT), adopted multiskilling as a strategic response to the ravaging effects of COVID-19 on site labour-force, by minimizing their number of tradesmen without loss of planned productivity, continuity and quality targets. This study examined the extent to which multiskilling of construction tradesmen led to achievement of planned productivity levels, continuity of operations, and extent to which output quality of multiskilled tradesmen compared with traditional single trades. Descriptive survey research methodology was adopted with structured questionnaire as research instrument administered to a sample of 210 respondents selectively chosen from a study population of 380 project site administrators in six towns of Abuja municipal council. Study’s results showed that adoption of multiskilling at the project sites achieved high productivity (0.76), ensured high continuity (0.77), and produced comparably high-quality standards (0.74). From the findings, a legislation of construction trade multiskilling would serve as a strategic response to site-level human capacity planning and scheduling of tradesmen, towards maintenance of planned productivity, continuity, quality performance, and workmen safety during post-lockdown era of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.