Current State of Building Information Modelling in the Nigerian Construction Industry

Abstract

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been applied to various aspects of construction processes in developed countries but Nigeria is yet to realize the full potentials of BIM. It has greater relevance for the commercial and public subsectors as it enhances construction productivity. This study examines current state of BIM in the Nigerian construction industry. The study adopted quantitative research approach by eliciting primary data through questionnaire which was administered to 150 respondents, of which 90 were returned and considered valid for further analysis. The data were analysed using mean item score and correlation. It was revealed that BIM awareness level is only high at the design stage of a building life cycle while it is extremely low at the construction and facility management stages. Also, the commonly used BIM compliant software packages in the Nigerian construction industry were identified to be: Autodesk Quantity Takeoff, Revit Architecture, and SketchUp. The study however recommends that: stakeholders of the construction industry should be educated on how to use BIM complaint software packages throughout the life cycle of a building and its benefits; Government should invest heavily on BIM related research so as to enhance the body of knowledge of BIM in Nigeria and develop a suitable framework for BIM implementation; federal Government should enact policies that will encourage the implementation of BIM in Nigeria.