Sustainable Construction in South Africa and Nigeria: Challenges, Opportunities, and Project Success Insights

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A recent study by Aroge et al. (2025) titled “CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW OF PROJECT SUCCESS FACTORS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA AND NIGERIA,” published in Open Journal of Engineering Science (ISSN: 2734-2115), reveals that construction in South Africa and Nigeria embraces sustainability, but implementation lags due to regulations, skills, finance, and socio-political issues, despite technological opportunities.

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Sustainable construction is growing in South Africa and Nigeria, but implementation lags due to systemic challenges. – Aroge et al. 2025

The study examines the growing intersection between sustainable practices and construction project success in two of Africa’s most dynamic economies. Using a bibliometric analysis of 137 publications spanning 1986 to 2024, the research maps key trends, identifies influential authors and journals, highlights country-level contributions and collaborations, and explores challenges and opportunities in sustainable construction while recommending future research directions. The findings reveal a knowledge gap between the theoretical advantages of sustainable construction and its practical implementation in South Africa and Nigeria. Success in modern construction projects extends beyond the traditional cost-time-quality triangle to include environmental impact, social responsibility, and economic viability. Technological innovations such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), prefabrication, and 3D laser scanning play a critical role in supporting sustainable project delivery.

However, several challenges hinder progress, including outdated regulations, limited skilled labor, inadequate infrastructure, financial constraints, and socio-political instability. Conversely, opportunities exist through public-private partnerships, the adoption of green building standards like LEED and EDGE, and enhanced international collaboration and capacity-building initiatives.

How the Study was Conducted

The study employed a bibliometric review methodology to analyze patterns and trends in academic literature on construction management, sustainability, and project success in South Africa and Nigeria. Using the PRISMA guidelines, the researchers ensured a systematic and transparent approach in selecting and analyzing relevant studies. All 137 publications reviewed, spanning from 1986 to 2024, were sourced from the Scopus database, known for its extensive coverage of peer-reviewed literature, providing a long-term perspective on research developments.

For analysis, VOSviewer software was used for science mapping, enabling the visualization of relationships between authors, keywords, and countries, while Microsoft Excel facilitated data organization and the generation of descriptive statistics such as publication counts and citation metrics. The selection focused specifically on studies related to construction management, sustainability, and project success, highlighting influential authors, key journals, major research themes, and collaboration networks across institutions and countries.

Through techniques such as keyword co-occurrence, citation analysis, and authorship pattern evaluation, the study uncovered dominant research areas and examined country-level contributions, revealing disparities in scholarly output and collaboration between South Africa and Nigeria.

What the Authors Found

The authors found that while construction management in South Africa and Nigeria is increasingly embracing sustainability, actual implementation lags behind, with challenges like regulatory barriers, limited skilled labor, financial constraints, and socio-political issues hindering progress, though technological innovations, green standards, and public-private partnerships offer significant opportunities for transformation.

Why is this important

Sustainable Urban Development: Rapid urbanization in South Africa and Nigeria requires greener, smarter construction to reduce carbon emissions, resource depletion, and environmental impact.

Economic and Social Benefits: Sustainable construction can drive job creation, attract investment, and improve living standards while ensuring project success.

Research and Policy Impact: The study bridges the gap between theory and practice, guiding policymakers, educators, and developers to implement actionable, sustainability-focused strategies.

Industry Transformation: Adoption of technologies like BIM and prefabrication enhances efficiency, reduces waste, and gives firms a competitive edge in a sustainability-driven market.

What the Authors Recommended

• The authors advocate strengthening regulatory frameworks and providing incentives such as tax breaks, subsidies, or fast-track approvals to promote sustainable construction practices.
• The study emphasises investing in training professionals in sustainable design, construction technologies, and project management, while encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration across engineering, architecture, and environmental fields.
• Furthermore, the study advocates fostering international partnerships and enhancing local academic engagement to drive innovation, knowledge sharing, and joint research between South African and Nigerian scholars.
• In addition, promote real-world adoption of sustainability through empirical case studies and the integration of green building standards like LEED, EDGE, and BREEAM.

The study highlights that while South Africa and Nigeria are increasingly embracing sustainable construction, significant gaps remain in implementation, requiring strengthened regulations, skilled workforce development, technological adoption, and international collaboration to fully realize environmental, social, and economic benefits in modern construction projects.