ASSESSING BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MAINTENANCE PRACTICES IN SELECTED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN KADUNA STATE

Purpose: Studies have shown that several barriers hinder the effective implementation of sustainable practices in building maintenance, despite considerable efforts to transition from conventional to sustainable building maintenance practices. Sustainable building maintenance is essential for minimising the environmental impact of buildings and ensuring their long-term sustainability. The aim of the study assesses barriers to sustainable building maintenance practice in selected tertiary institutions in Kaduna State, with a view to enhancing its adoption.

Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the aim of the study, opinions of the maintenance officers or operatives in selected tertiary institutions in Kaduna State were collected. The methodology was a critical exposition of related literature and a descriptive survey employing mean score, with relative ranking. A structured questionnaire was issued using a purposive sampling technique to a sample size comprising 53 maintenance operatives in the physical facilities units and maintenance departments of the selected tertiary institutions.

Findings: The results revealed that a lack of public awareness about the benefits of sustainable building maintenance practices and poor government policies in promoting Sustainable building maintenance practices are the key barriers to its adoption.

Research limitations/Implications: The study focused on only three tertiary institutions in Kaduna State (ABU Zaria, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Kaduna State College of Nursing, Kafanchan). This narrow coverage limits the generalizability of the findings to other Nigerian states, private institutions, or non-educational public buildings.

Practical implications: The study recommends that the adoption of the practice can be enhanced through educating and training building professionals on sustainable building concepts.

Originality/value – The study provides new empirical insight into the sustainability challenges within Kaduna State, Nigerian tertiary institutions, highlighting context-specific factors that differ from trends reported in developed countries.