Sakinatu Yayajo Muhammad, Abdullahi Yusuf Waziri, Ibrahim Ibrahim Inuwa

Keywords: ICT applications & adoption, Indigenous Building Contracting Firms, Nigerian construction industry

Abstract

Despite the advantages of ICT systems, indigenous building contracting firms are still reluctant to forgo their paper-based system for ICT systems. This study assesses ICT application adoption among indigenous building contracting firms in Bauchi metropolis. One hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed to construction professionals working with building contracting firms within Bauchi metropolis through a stratified random sampling technique. The survey records about 82% useful response rate. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the firms’ ICT facilities application and adoption are moderate. Their ICT applications usages are for communication, administration, marketing, and advanced application. Mobile phones, email, and the internet are ICT for communications with high usage. Word processing and spreadsheet applications, which are ICT facilities for administration recorded high usage. Design software usage is high as against other ICT marketing applications with moderate usage. In contrast, all advanced ICT applications usage is moderate. The firms adopt ICT in 14 areas with high adoption in 6 areas: office administration, pricing of a bill of quantities, communication with the project team, marketing for services, advertisement for services, and design automation. Whereas moderately adopts ICT in price estimation, tendering for contracts, purchasing of goods and services, cost management, human resource management, tracking of projects, project collaboration, and meeting with the project team. It implies that indigenous building contracting firms in Nigeria are yet to fully enjoy the speed and precision offered by ICT applications. Hence, recommended that firms should apply electronic data management, intranet/extranet, voice mail, video conferencing, and webcam for their business communication and highly used ICT in marketing and advanced application. Moreover, they should completely adopt ICT facilities in price estimation, tendering for contracts, purchasing of goods and services, cost management, human resource management, tracking of projects, project collaboration, and meetings with the project team