Implementation of Construction 4.0 in Nigeria: Evaluating the Opportunities and Threats on the Workforce

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the opportunities and threats of construction 4.0 on the workforce. This study adopts a qualitative and quantitative survey research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select forty (40) respondents which comprises of project managers and supervisors of ongoing projects selected across four states in Southwest Nigeria. Frequencies, percentage, mean, Bivariate Pearson and Kendall’s tau b correlation of SPSS V23 were used in analysing the data collected. The result shows that there was a high level of implementation of Prefabrication and BIM. The study further revealed opportunities such as increased collaboration, creativity, workers’ efficiency and a major threat which is retrenchment of workers. This threat is a resultant effect of construction 4.0 to the workforce. Also, the study reveals that manual jobs face higher threats under construction 4.0 compared to professional jobs. The study recommends the need for more sensitization of the work force for construction 4.0, re-skilling of the workforce and development of government policies to protect the work force against the major threat of construction 4.0 which is retrenchment.

Construction Industry 4.0 and Sustainability: An Enabling Framework

“…Intentionally or unintentionally, such technologies are weakening the professional autonomy and creativity of employees, adversely impacting their perceived self-worth at the workplace. The results support the notion in the literature that employees' privacy will be overrun by technology-based monitoring/surveillance and that employment relationships can be negatively affected (Adepoju and Aigbavboa, 2020a;Calvetti et al, 2020). The other concern expressed by interviewees is that Construction 4.0 technologies will further enhance the digital divide.…”

“…Similarly, interviewees reported using drones to take images and conduct laser scans of the project site, which were used to check project progress, errors, and variation from the digital twin stored in the BIM cloud. The results support the growing use of drones at construction sites, as it significantly reduces the efforts required in conventional construction monitoring and reporting procedures (Adepoju and Aigbavboa, 2020a).…”

“…At the broader societal level, the main concern is that these expatriate blue-collar workers are the sole breadwinners of their families back in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, and the roll-out of Industry 4.0 technologies will lead to mass repatriation of these workers. Previously, a number of authors have identified the loss of jobs as a key threat to the implementation of construction 4.0 (Adepoju and Aigbavboa, 2020a;Chan, 2020;Forcael et al, 2020;Mansouri et al, 2020). For example, implementing digital twin technology will reduce the number of employees needed by automating or augmenting several functions in construction currently performed by people, such as planning, coordinating, communicating, measuring, checking, and inspecting (Sacks et al, 2020).…”

Inclusion, Organizational Resilience, and Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Digital Innovations

“…Similarly, Zoom and Ulesson have enhanced the education sector, while different agrotech companies have leveraged cloud data solutions to advance the agricultural industry. On the other hand, industry 4.0 technologies, such as prefabrication and building information modeling (BIM), have been used to advance the construction sector's development in Nigeria [7]. Evidently, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the need to intensify efforts in developing and adopting digital technologies in Nigeria, especially in the manufacturing sector.…”

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“…The work of an employee can be stated in the forms of quality and quantity or how much work can be achieved or generated. The performance of a process includes reciprocity, sustainability, partnership between employees and leaders, understanding the content of their work, responsibilities, and carrying out effective work either individually or in groups (Adepoju & Aigbavboa, 2020;Anastasiou, 2020;Astuti, Fitria, & Rohana, 2020;Maryanti., Rohana, & Kristiawan, 2020;Suratman, Arafat, & Eddy, 2020). It is the employees who carry out tasks and responsibilities, and they need to understand their roles and be able to identify if work is not being carried out effectively (Arafat, 2011).…”