The Challenges with Developing and Applying Knowledge, Skills and Competences (KSC) in the Nigerian Engineering and Construction Industry (NECI)

In Nigeria, the construction industry contributes over 3% of the annual gross domestic product and is the fourth highest employer of labour in Nigeria. Despite its contributions and the huge potential of the Nigerian Engineering and construction industry (NECI), inadequate attention is given to its significance in driving the Nigerian economy. Knowledge, skills, and competences are the main critical success factor of the construction industry. Several challenges are responsible for sloth of the NECI. This study explored these challenges evident in developing and applying knowledge, skills, and competences (KSC) in management of the NECI. The NECI employs an extremely diverse range of workers from extensive and various backgrounds, who are deployed to be managed and supervised. Ineffective management caused by lack of updated KSC, has been identified in academic literatures as a major setback in the NECI. This study identified and extensively discussed these challenges through a review of literature and data from the NECI. The data, on which this study was based, was sourced from 155 completed and usable survey questionnaires and 30 semi-structured interviews with registered engineering and construction professionals in Nigeria. Participants were drawn from membership database of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, practicing in both private and public sectors.