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By Taiwo Babatunde
A new study is offering much-needed clarity on a question that has long puzzled environmentalists, urban planners, and policymakers in Nigeria: Why is the construction industry still so far behind in adopting sustainable, circular economy practices?
The research, recently published in the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, takes a deep dive into the heart of Nigeria’s construction sector, unpacking the systemic barriers that have slowed or even completely stalled the transition to a circular economy.
Led by Abdulkabir Opeyemi Bello and co-authored by Prof. Rasheed Babatunde Isa, Prof. Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, Dr. Suhaib Arogundade, and Joyce Mdananebari Obuso Lewis, the study is already being hailed as a major contribution to sustainable development discourse in the Global South.
In a candid feedback interview, Bello explained that the motivation behind the work stemmed from a critical gap in both policy and practice. “We have global commitments to sustainability, but local systems are still struggling to catch up. The construction sector is growing rapidly, but it’s doing so on a linear model that produces enormous waste, emissions, and inefficiencies.”
What the team did was both ambitious and necessary. Using a structured questionnaire distributed across different regions in Nigeria, they gathered responses from professionals working in architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO).
The data revealed 24 core barriers to implementing circular economy principles, ranging from lack of incentives and insufficient training, to weak policy enforcement and fragmented stakeholder coordination. These barriers were grouped into four clusters: economic, market/information, policy/operations, and product development.
For the first time in this context, the study not only documented these issues but also organized them in a way that can directly inform solutions. This is one of the major achievements of the work: it translated a broad, often vague concept like “circular economy challenges” into concrete, actionable categories that government bodies, private sector actors, and academics can engage with.
Co-author Joyce Mdananebari Obuso Lewis emphasized this point during the interview. “Circularity isn’t just a technical shift, it’s a mindset shift. Our work lays the foundation for real structural change. And that begins with seeing clearly what’s in the way.”
The implications of the findings stretch far beyond academia. Nigeria’s construction industry plays a central role in both the economy and environmental degradation. Every building project that uses virgin materials unnecessarily or discards recyclable components contributes to a larger sustainability crisis, one that affects air quality, landfill overflow, resource scarcity, and climate change.
Yet there’s enormous potential for change. As Bello puts it, “This research isn’t just about pointing out the problems, it’s about opening the door to possibilities. When we understand the barriers clearly, we’re better positioned to design systems that dismantle them.”
That’s where the broader achievement of the research becomes evident. It provides a clear, data-backed framework that decision-makers can now use to develop targeted reforms, whether that means introducing circular procurement policies, incentivizing green design, or integrating sustainability education into professional development.
It also gives industry players a language and structure to discuss and confront the challenges collaboratively, rather than in silos. This is a crucial step forward, especially in a country where construction accounts for a significant portion of GDP but often operates without strong environmental accountability.
As Joyce Lewis remarked, “The work doesn’t end with publication. It’s a conversation starter, a reference tool, and a platform for future collaboration. We hope this becomes a living document that stakeholders in Nigeria and other developing countries can build upon.”
In short, the study offers not just a snapshot of where things stand, but a roadmap for where they could go. It’s a reminder that sustainability isn’t just about ideology, it’s about structure, systems, and strategy. And with research like this guiding the way, a circular future in construction is no longer just a theory. It’s a possibility if we’re willing to act on it.
