An investigation into the sustainability practices in PPP infrastructure projects: a case of Nigeria

Abstract

PurposeIn the global construction industry, the concept of sustainability is not new, particularly within building projects. Against this backdrop, several studies have been conducted, mostly in developed countries, on sustainability in construction projects. However, efforts at investigating sustainability practices in public–private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects in developing countries have received limited attention. Hence, the purpose of this study is to investigate the incorporation of sustainability practices within the context of Nigeria’s PPP infrastructure projects.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey, which targeted four different types of stakeholders, was conducted in this study. These stakeholders included public sector authorities, concessionaires, consultants and banks undertaking PPP infrastructure projects in the Lagos State, Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation (SD) analyses and the Kruskal–Wallis test.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed that all the respondents are very much aware of sustainability principles and the vast majority of the respondents from the public sector authorities and the consultant organizations confirmed that they have incorporated sustainability requirements into their bidding documents for PPP infrastructure projects. The study revealed sustainability features in the three aspects of sustainability, namely, economic, environmental and social factors. Furthermore, the study revealed the top three–ranked economic factors of sustainability (considered to be the most important factors) were low maintenance costs, whole life costing and supporting the local economy, respectively. Similarly, the study revealed the top three–ranked environmental factors of sustainability were biodiversity, energy use during the operation stage and energy use during the construction stage, respectively. Furthermore, the study further revealed that the top three–ranked social factors of sustainability were the educational aspect, equity between stakeholders and health and safety, respectively.Practical implicationsThe study will be of great value to PPP stakeholders involved in sustainability decision-making processes when delivering sustainable PPP projects, particularly in Nigeria. Also, the study’s findings are important as not many empirical studies have been conducted on the sustainability practices of current PPP projects in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe study’s findings would further inform the need for both the public and private sectors to take a more strategic approach to enhance sustainability in PPP projects.

Identifying the Key Risk Factors of Mega Infrastructure Projects from an Extended Sustainable Development Perspective

“…These are generic elements that can provide a reference to all types of MIP. The economic sustainable development of MIPs requires the minimization of the direct costs of the MIPs themselves [ 27 , 37 ], the indirect costs of social and environmental governance [ 38 , 39 ], and the maintenance and enhancement of local economies [ 40 , 41 ], to achieve a positive long-term economic impact. The environmental sustainable development of MIPs requires the best use of resources (for example, water, energy, and land use) [ 28 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], minimum waste discharge (such as gas emissions, wastewater discharge, solid waste, light, and noise) [ 41 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], reduced damage to the natural landscape [ 50 , 51 ], maintenance of the biodiversity of the natural ecological system, ecological balance, and protection of the earth as far as possible [ 29 , 52 ].…”

“…The environmental sustainable development of MIPs requires the best use of resources (for example, water, energy, and land use) [ 28 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ], minimum waste discharge (such as gas emissions, wastewater discharge, solid waste, light, and noise) [ 41 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], reduced damage to the natural landscape [ 50 , 51 ], maintenance of the biodiversity of the natural ecological system, ecological balance, and protection of the earth as far as possible [ 29 , 52 ]. The social sustainable development of MIPs requires the protection of regional culture [ 53 , 54 ], concern for the safety and health of employees and the public [ 29 , 55 ], compatibility with citizens’ ideals, encouragement of social integration [ 20 , 39 , 40 , 52 ] guaranteed social equality [ 56 , 57 ], and provision of a public service that improves the quality of life of all segments of the population [ 38 , 55 , 58 , 59 ]. The coordination of sustainable development of the MIPs was used to support the “three pillars,” wherein the MIPs project team comprised multidisciplinary (economic, social, and environmental) professionals [ 29 , 60 ]; furthermore, contracts, regulations, and policies that include sustainable development were formulated [ 37 , 60 ], and a comprehensive project lifecycle monitoring and maintenance management system was established [ 27 , 61 ].…”

“…The construction and operation of MIPs consumes a huge quantity of natural resources. Unreasonable project planning, low management levels, and weak team sustainability awareness often leads to the excessive consumption of resources (ENRF5, ENRF6, ENRF7, ENRF9, ENRF10, ENRF11, ENRF12)—such as water (EN2), energy (EN3), materials (EN4), and land (EN5) [ 38 , 45 ]. Various types of pollution, including air, water, soil, light, and noise pollution (ENRF1, ENRF2, ENRF3, ENRF4, and ENRF13, respectively), may be generated at a construction site, which can significantly impact the local natural environment (EN6) [ 50 ].…”

“…The probability of CORF4 was 3.400, the severity was 3.102, and the impact was 3.247, ranking fifth in the coordination dimension. Given the stark lack of knowledge of sustainability practices among practitioners in the construction industry in China, this finding is reasonable [ 38 ]. MIPs attach great importance to the economic performance of the project and pay less attention to developing the social economy, building a harmonious society, and reducing the negative impact on the ecological environment.…”

Feasibility of implementing IPD approach for infrastructure projects in developing countries

“…Fewer change orders, greater cost savings, shorter timelines, and fewer requests for information (RFIs) are among the most widely seen benefits of IPD projects, according to the results of a study by Ma et al (2018). Early contractor engagement has been a hallmark of advanced practice for some time, but the addition of co-location is expected to maximise the benefits of that involvement (Gomez et al, 2018, Babatunde, Ekundayo, Udeaja andAbubakar, 2020). Figure 1 depicts the rationale for using the IPD approach and the advantages it offers if it is effectively applied to a project.…”