ABSTRACT: Risk in building infrastructural projects is the exposure of construction activities (related to building) to economic loss, due to unforeseen events or foreseen events for which uncertainty was not properly accommodated. With building infrastructural projects becoming increasingly complex and dynamic in nature as well as the introduction of new procurement methods, many stakeholders are interested in an approach that will enhance project performance within their organizations. The study assessed the relationship between risk allocation and performance of building infrastructural projects. A total of one hundred and eighty copies of questionnaire (180) were administered on randomly selected stakeholders (comprising construction clients, consultants and contractors and insurance companies), out of which one hundred and fifty (150) was found valid and applicable for this study, and this constituted 86.6% of the sample size. Statistical techniques employed for data analyses were percentage of Relative Importance Index (%RII), Cronbach’s alpha reliability scale Test, T- test and Spearman’s rho correlation analysis. The analyses revealed that clients, consultants, contractors and insurance firms risk allocation affect project performance. Risk elimination by management was ranked first among the tools used to minimize construction projects risk. All the results of the Cronbach’s alpha reliability test were above 0.5 which indicated that the items were reliable for the measurement of risk allocation and risk factors. An average Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient of 0.6912 showed that risk allocation among stakeholders was significant and directly related to project performance at 0.05 level of confidence. The Paired samples T-test on risk allocation and project performance revealed that there was no significant difference between risk allocation and project performance. It was concluded that there was a positive relationship between building infrastructural risk allocation and project performance. The study therefore recommended that building infrastructural stakeholders should triangulate and use multiple models during the feasibility and viability planning stage of building infrastructural projects in order to reduce pit hole at the construction stage. 

ABSTRACT: The management of construction firms use incentive schemes to motivate workers to be more productive. Indoing this, different incentive schemes motivate workers differently, and their selection process also impacts theschemes. Their selection process has been rarely studied. Therefore, this study investigated the methodsemployed by firms to select incentive schemes and the factors influencing the methods. One hundred and fourproject managers of randomly selected construction firms were asked to indicate the methods they employed inselecting incentive schemes and the factors that influenced their choice. Findings revealed that incentive schemeswere majorly selected by construction firms through discretion, tradition, study-based selection and selectionbased on performance measurement. Furthermore, construction firms’ selection of incentive schemes bytradition was influenced by capacity of company to pay, culture and nature of task; selection by discretion wasinfluenced by fluctuation in production, timing, and system of governance; selection based on performancemeasurement was influenced by availability of standardized work measurement technique, adequacy of workand cost benefit analysis; and the study-based selection was influenced by system of governance and strategy,cost and benefit analysis and adequacy of work. The study therefore emphasized the need for construction firmsto understand and critically examine the factors that influence the selection of incentive schemes in order to achieve optimum effectiveness in their use. 

ABSTRACT: This study investigated the impact that methods of selecting incentive schemes had on the characteristics manifested by the schemes while being used by construction firms in Nigeria. One hundred and four project managers of forty randomly selected construction firms participated in a questionnaire survey to determine the characteristics exhibited by incentive schemes based on the methods employed for their selection. Findings revealed that for the study-based selection method andthe selection based on performance measurement, the use of incentive schemes did not cause reductionin the quality of work, unhealthy competition among workers nor fight among themselves. While selectionbased on tradition and discretion. caused the following; reduced quality of work, fighting among workersand generated unhealthy competition among workers. The study therefore recommended the use of the study-based selection and the selection based on performance measurement for incentive schemes used in the construction industry. 

ABSTRACT: Flood is a water induced disaster that leads to temporary overflow of dry land and causes serious damage on lives, property, and infrastructures. Flood has created a lot of damaging effect in Nigeria, resulting to the death of people, collapse of buildings, destruction of properties, damage of agricultural produce, loss of land and increased government expenditure. Despite persistent occurrence of this disaster, there is limited research geared at studying the factors that cause flooding and measures to effectively control it. To fill this gap, a random survey was conducted on 40 households, community leaders and agencies responsible for the management of flood in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Relative Important Index (RII) was employed for ranking the factors and the preventive measures. From the result, the common factors that cause flooding were poorly constructed drainage, heavy rainfall and improper waste disposal. Preventive measures for flooding were proper dumping of refuse, awareness of the public on the need to adhere to environmental rules, empowerment of government agencies to monitor residential building construction, implementation of government policies on flood and sanitization of town/city planners. Increased awareness at all levels (community, local,state and federal) of the risk of flooding, appropriate response techniques in mitigating flooding via implementation of flood control policies and flood early warning system to control flooding in Nigeria were also recommended. 

ABSTRACT: The study investigated the performance of Small and Medium Construction Firms (SMCFs) in Nigeria using financial measures. Secondary data obtained from seven SMCFs who engaged in estate development were employed for this study. A total of 7 financial statements were collected from archive of the firms. Data collected from the financial statements were current ratios, profit margin, return on assets and return on equity. The data were analysed using frequency, percentages, liquidity ratio, profitability ratio and Altman’s Z-score. Financial analysis on the firms showed that a large percentage (71%) were within the safe zones of the Altman Z-score while 29% were within the unhealthy zone of the Altman Z-score and would need to re-structure so that they do not go bankrupt within the following 2 years. The study concluded that small and medium construction firms in Abuja are performing well financially with most of the firms in a healthy state as determined by the Altman’s Z-score 

ABSTRACT: The study investigated the performance of small and medium construction firms in Nigeria using non-financial measures particularly client and employee satisfaction.Information from ninety-four SMCFs who engaged in estate development were employed for this study to enhance ease of access to clients and employees on theirproject sites; one firm was considered per project site, therefore the study considered 94 firms with 94 project sites. Two employees and two clients of each of the firms were selected for questionnaire administration. Hence,a total of 376 copies of questionnaire were administered, out of which 238 were retrieved. The data were analysed using frequency, percentages, multiple response percentages and mean score (MS). Findings revealed that SMCFs had good communication strategy with employees and clients, good management / managerial capabilities, delivery to cost and specification but performed poorly with regards to project management skills that had to do with quality, time when delivering products to clients. SMCFs also recorded low performance with employees’ satisfaction on short term and long term benefits. The study therefore recommended that SMCFs should pay attention to project management skills and employees’ salary, health, pension, mentoring and training benefits