READINESS OF NIGERIAN BUILDING DESIGN FIRMS TO ADOPT BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) TECHNOLOGIES

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become the new international benchmark for efficiency in design, construction and maintenance of buildings. It is the platform that brings about collaboration between project stakeholders and improvement of project outcomes. With all its potentials, not much of the impact of BIM technologies has been felt in the Nigerian construction industry. This research aimed at assessing the readiness of the Nigerian building design firms to adopt BIM technologies. The research was exploratory in nature. A field survey was conducted with the use of structured questionnaire, self administered to a sample of building design consultancy firms (architectural, structural, M&E, quantity surveying, and multi-disciplinary design firms) within Abuja and Kaduna. The questionnaire sought the perception of the responding firms on the factors affecting BIM adoption in the Nigerian construction industry, and their level of readiness to adopt BIM technologies in their practices based on the four categories of readiness-management, people, process and technology. 42.26% response rate was achieved and used for analysis. ANOVA and DUNCAN post-hoc tests were used to establish the differences between the responses of the groups of firms, while means and standard deviations were obtained to establish the important factors affecting BIM adoption in Nigeria. The survey revealed that all the groups of Nigerian design firms are appreciably ready for the adoption of BIM technologies in their practice, with slight variations in their respective levels of readiness. 'Lack of awareness of BIM technology among professionals' and clients and 'lack of knowledgeable and experienced partners' were identified as the most important barriers of BIM adoption in Nigeria; while the most significant drivers are 'availability of well trained professionals' and 'cooperation and commitment of professional bodies to the adoption'. Education and training of building design professionals and cooperation of all stakeholders in the design and construction supply chain were recommended as part of measures to ensure successful adoption of BIM in the Nigerian construction industry.