Drivers and Barriers of Timber for Building Construction in Nigeria: A Case Study of Akure, Ondo State

Abstract

Timber, as a building material, when effectively maximized, can be used to ensure sustainability and low-cost housing. Timber, with its great qualities and abundance of availability in Nigeria, has predominantly been confined in its usage in building construction in Nigeria to the unseen and peripheral components of a building. It is sparsely used for structural reasons, mostly limited to the roof structure, furniture fittings, doors, and decorative purposes in some cases. As such, this research responds to that call. This paper aims to explicitly examine the drivers and barriers of its usage and adoption for building construction in Nigeria using Akure South Local Government, Ondo State, as the case study. The research confronts the topic by conducting a literature analysis of the possible use of timber in building construction, as well as its qualities and challenges as a building material. Questionnaires were also designed to investigate the factors that could promote its use and the barriers that are hindering its adoption in the Nigerian construction industry. A random sampling method was used to collect the required data from a total population size of 60 building professionals. A statistical analysis was carried out using the statistical package for social science. Results indicated that timber is a recognized building material, but its utilization in the Nigerian construction industry is restricted. This limitation is attributed to perceived challenges, including concerns about susceptibility to water damage and fire and a lack of technical expertise in utilizing timber for various building components. The study recommends that the usage of timber should be advanced through collaboration and training about the use of timber among building construction experts and also that building codes that would guide the use of timber in building construction should be worked on and included in the Nigeria national building codes as this would help to improve its awareness and encourage its use in the building industry.