Research Article

GOVERNMENT AND ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS TO GREEN PROCUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC BUILDING PROJECTS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

Isaac A. BOBAI1*, Nuru, GAMBO1, Mohammed S. MUSA2, Alhassan, DAHIRU1
1 Department of Quantity Surveying, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi
2 Department of Estate Management and Valuation, Federal University of Technology, (FUT) Minna, Nigeria
* Corresponding author: bobaii@unijos.edu.ng
Published: Dec, 2025
DOI: 10.66884/kesj.2025.4wt34pnz
Pages: 30-43
Views: 188
Downloads: 46

Abstract

Purpose: Despite severe environmental challenges and absence of explicit sustainability criteria for public building projects, public sector organizations lack systematic green procurement practices due to cultural and structural hinderances. This study investigates government and attitudinal related barriers to green procurement implementation in Nigeria’s public building projects with a view to achieving sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires administered to stakeholders, with 334 valid responses analysed using descriptive statistics in IBM SPSS (version 25). Mean scores, standard deviations, and the Severity Index (SI) formula were employed to determine the relative impact of each barrier.

Findings: Government-related barriers such as poor awareness and delays in decision-making (SI = 88.6%) and lack of compelling laws or policies (SI = 88.2%), as well as attitudinal barriers such as fear of higher costs (SI = 91.8%) and failure to understand stakeholder needs (SI = 80.8%) emerged as the most severe. The findings emphasize the need for policy reforms, institutional incentives, and stakeholder awareness to enhance sustainable procurement in Nigeria. to overcoming these barriers and promoting sustainable procurement practices in Nigeria.

Research limitations/Implications: The study focused on only Abuja. This narrow coverage limits the generalizability of the findings to other Nigerian states.

Practical implications: Based on the findings, Nigeria must adopt a comprehensive, multi-level approach to green procurement in public building projects. This requires moving from voluntary guidelines to mandatory legislation with clear regulatory frameworks that address both structural and attitudinal barriers.

Originality/value – This study is original in systematically quantifying and ranking government and attitudinal barriers to green procurement in Nigeria’s public building projects using a Severity Index approach, thereby providing context-specific evidence and actionable insights that extend beyond descriptive accounts in previous studies.

Keywords

Government; Attitudinal; Green Procurement; Barriers: Implementation

References

  1. Adeleke, A. Q., Bahaudin, A. Y., & Kamaruddeen, A. M. (2020). Barriers to sustainable construction practices in Nigeria: A developing country perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 253, 119962.
  2. Adjei-Bamfo, P., Maloreh-Nyamekye, T., & Ahenkan, A. (2019). The role of e-government in sustainable public procurement in developing countries: A systematic literature review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 142, 189-203.
  3. Agbesi, K., Fugar, F. D., & Adjei-Kumi, T. (2018). Modelling the adoption of sustainable procurement in construction organization. Built environment project and asset management, 8(5), 461-476.
  4. Agyekum, A. K., Fugar, F. D. K., Agyekum, K., Akomea-Frimpong, I., & Pittri, H. (2022). Barriers to stakeholder engagement in sustainable procurement of public works. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management.
  5. Ajayi, E. O., Onikoyi, I. A., Babalola, H. B., & Lateef, S. A. (2021). Green Supply Chain Management: An Empirical Study of Green Distribution and Procurement and Operational Performance within Nigerian SMEs. Appl. Econ. Bus, 5, 62.
  6. Akcay, E. C. (2023). Barriers to undertaking green building projects in developing countries: a Turkish perspective. Buildings, 13(4), 841.
  7. Akenroye, T., & Oyedijo, A. (2023). Climate-smart procurement: Tackling climate change in Nigeria. World Economic Forum. [https://www.weforum.org/](https://www.weforum.org/)[rest-of-URL]
  8. Alqadami, A. T., Zawawi, N. A. W. A., Rahmawati, Y., Alaloul, W., & Alshalif, A. F. (2020, May). Key success factors of implementing green procurement in public construction projects in Malaysia. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 498, No. 1, p. 012098). IOP Publishing.
  9. Amry, N. N. S., bin Mohd Noor, M. Z., & D'Silva, J. L. Recovering Construction Industry: Incorporate Circular Waste Management Towards Lower Construction Waste.
  10. Atanda, J. O., & Olukoya, O. A. (2019). Green building standards: Opportunities for Nigeria. Journal of Cleaner Production, 227, 366-377.
  11. Ayarkwa, J., Agyekum, K., Opoku, D. G. J., & Appiagyei, A. A. (2020). Barriers to the implementation of environmentally sustainable procurement in public universities. International Journal of Procurement Management, 13(1), 24-41.
  12. AlNuaimi, S., AlMarzooqi, H., & Khan, M. (2021). Lifecycle costing awareness and barriers to sustainable procurement in developing economies. Sustainability, 13(14), 7892. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147892](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147892)
  13. Amadi, L. O., Ija, M. I., & Jimoh, R. A. (2014). Achieving sustainable procurement practices in the Nigerian construction industry: Examining potential barriers and strategies. ATBU Journal of Environmental Technology, 10(2), 45-58. Retrieved from AJOL
  14. Ashoke, L. R., Magaji, S., & Musa, I. (2025). Digital technologies and sustainable procurement in Nigeria: Enhancing transparency and efficiency through multi stakeholder collaboration. ISA Journal of Business, Economics and Management, 2(5), 112-130.
  15. Atanda, J. O., & Olukoya, O. A. (2019). Barriers to sustainable procurement in the Nigerian construction industry: An exploratory factor analysis. International Journal of Construction Management. [https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2019.1658697](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2019.1658697)
  16. Ayarkwa, J., Acheampong, A., & Boateng, P. (2020). Challenges of sustainable procurement in Botswana's public sector. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 25(2), 45-62. [https://doi.org/10.21315/jcdc2020.25.2.3](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.21315/jcdc2020.25.2.3)
  17. Bidin, Z. A., Bohari, A. A. M., Rais, S. L. A., & Saferi, M. M. (2019). A SWOT analysis of green procurement implementation in construction projects. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 385, No. 1, p. 012017). IOP Publishing
  18. Bidin, Z. A., Mohamad Bohari, A. A., Hashim, N., & Zanudin, K. (2024). Preliminary Findings on Collaborative Approach Elements in Influencing Green Procurement Implementation for Construction Projects. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, VIII(XII), 4146-4158. [https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2024.8120344](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.47772/ijriss.2024.8120344)
  19. Bohari, A. A. M., Skitmore, M., Xia, B., Teo, M., & Khalil, N. (2020). Key stakeholder values in encouraging green orientation of construction procurement. Journal of Cleaner Production, 270, [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122246](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122246)
  20. Boumo, E., & Changwak, E. J. (2025). Impact of urbanisation and displacement on environmental sustainability in Abuja, 1991-2022. African Scholars Multidisciplinary Journal, 9(January), 10-20.
  21. Brammer, S., & Walker, H. (2011). Sustainable procurement in the public sector: An International comparative study. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 31(4), 452-476. [[https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571111119551](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571111119551)] cement and concrete industries. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(11), 559-573.
  22. Ershadi, M., Khosravi, A., & Mphale, M. (2021). Institutional barriers to green procurement in African public agencies: Evidence from Botswana. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 34(6), 721-739. [https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-03-2021-0075](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-03-2021-0075)
  23. Ezekwu, E. (2025). Sustainable supply chain practices: Driving efficiency, reducing waste, and promoting circular economy models. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 14(1), 1167
  24. Federal Government of Nigeria (1991). Proclamation of Abuja as the Federal Capital City. Federal Government of Nigeria, Abuja.
  25. Festus, E. A., Farouk, Z., Etim, E. J., & Goma, D. (2020). Sustainable development challenges in Abuja's construction industry: Balancing economic growth and environmental conservation. Fountain Journal of Environmental Studies. Retrieved from AJOL (Research on sustainability challenges in Abuja)
  26. Ganiyu, A. Y., Adebiyi, R. W. M., Abdulraheem, R. T., Orire, M., Eluwa, I. S., & Stephen, E. (2020). Barrier Factors Affecting Adoption of Green Building Technologies in Nigeria/Ganiyu Amuda-Yusuf...[et al.]. Built Environment Journal (BEJ), 17(2), 37-48.
  27. Ghosh, M. (2019). Determinants of green procurement implementation and its impact on firm performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(2),
  28. Grandia, J. (2016). Finding the missing link: Examining the mediating role of sustainable public procurement behaviour. Journal of Cleaner Production, 124, 183-190.
  29. Han, Q., Blaauwbroek, S., & Lee, P. H. (2024). Environment performance criteria as means for green public procurement. In Sustainability in Energy and Buildings 2023 (pp. 11-22). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
  30. Kabange, N. R., Kwon, Y., Lee, S. M., Kang, J. W., Cha, J. K., Park, H., ... & Lee, J. H. (2023). Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from crop production and management practices, and livestock: A review. Sustainability, 15(22), 15889.
  31. Khaderi, S. S., Yub, Y., Bakri, A. S., & Abd Shukor, A. S. (2022). Green Procurement Implementation in Construction industry: Analysis of Developer's Challenges. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 1067, No. 1, p. 012052). IOP Publishing.
  32. Khan, M.W.A., Ting, N.H., Kuang, L.C., Darun, M.R., Mehfooz, U., Khamidi, M.F., (2018). Green procurement in construction industry: a theoretical perspective of enablers and barriers. MATEC Web of Conferences 203, 02012. [https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201820302012](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201820302012).
  33. Kilinkaridou, M. (2023). Green Procurement practices across the EU: Challenges & Opportunities.
  34. Kolawole, R. A., & Idris, K. M. (2020). Investigating Barriers to the Uptake of Sustainable Procurement in the Nigerian Construction Industry. African Journal of Earth and Environmental Science, 2(1), 508-516.
  35. Komolafe, O. F. (2022). Evaluation of Sustainable Procurement Strategies in the Nigerian Construction Industry.
  36. Leal Filho, W., Balogun, A. L., Olayide, O. E., Azeiteiro, U. M., Ayal, D. Y., Muñoz, P. D. C., & Li, C. (2019). Assessing the impacts of climate change in cities and their adaptive capacity: Towards transformative approaches to climate change adaptation and poverty reduction in urban areas in a set of developing countries. Science of the Total Environment, 692, 1175-1190
  37. Lou, K. R., & Huang, Y. F. (2023). Effect of exhibition facilities, professional competence, and green procurement on green meeting, incentive travel, convention, and exhibition industry performance measurement: A case study of the exhibition industry of Taiwan. Sustainability, 15(16), 12179.
  38. Lyulyov, O., Chygryn, O., Pimonenko, T., & Kwilinski, A. (2023). Stakeholders' Engagement in the Company's Management as a Driver of Green Competitiveness within Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 15(9), 7249. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097249](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097249)
  39. Ma, Y., Liu, Y., Appolloni, A., & Liu, J. (2021). Does green public procurement encourage firm's environmental certification practice? The mediation role of top management support. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 28(3), 1002-1017.
  40. Mojumder, A., Singh, A., Kumar, A., & Liu, Y. (2022). Mitigating the barriers to green procurement adoption: An exploratory study of the Indian construction industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 372, 133505.
  41. National Population Commission (NPC). (2006). Population and Housing Census of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: National and State Population and Housing Tables. Abuja: National Population Commission. (Official census report) Policy and Management, 32(1), 55-72. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jepp.2024.01.004](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jepp.2024.01.004)
  42. Nwogu, P. C., & Emedosi, A. (2024). Benefits and Drivers of Green Building Projects Implementation in Nigeria. British Journal of Environmental Sciences, 12(2), 31-42.
  43. Opoku-Mensah, K., Boateng, D., & Owusu, A. (2024). Attitudinal barriers to green procurement adoption: Evidence from Nigeria. International Journal of Sustainable Construction Management, 29(1), 101-118. [https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2024.1876543](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2024.1876543)
  44. Ortega Carrasco, R., López, J., & Martínez, P. (2024). Global barriers to sustainable public procurement: Legal, political, and financial constraints. Journal of Environmental
  45. Ogunsanya, O. A., Clinton O. Aigbavboa & Didibhuku W. Thwala (2021): Sustainable procurement model for publicly funded construction projects in developing nations - a structural equation modeling approach, International Journal of Construction Management, DOI: 10.1080/15623599.2021.1889087
  46. Ojo, L. D., Oladinrin, O. T., & Obi, L. (2021). Critical barriers to environmental management system implementation in the Nigerian construction industry. Environmental Management, 68(2), 147-159.
  47. Okechukwu, N. (2024). Department of History and International Relations, Abia State University Uturu, Nigeria. British Journal of Mass Communication and Media Research, 4(1), 1-11
  48. Olanipekun, A. O., Aje, I. O., & Fadugba, D. (2022). Investigating the challenges of green procurement adoption in Nigerian public construction projects. Sustainable Development in Africa, 24(2), 75-86.
  49. Olanipekun, A. O., Aje, I. O., & Fadugba, D. (2022). Investigating the challenges of green procurement adoption in Nigerian public construction projects. Sustainable Development in Africa, 24(2), 75-86.
  50. Oluwabukunmi A. Ogunsanya, Clinton O. Aigbavboa, Didibhuku W. Thwala & David J. Edwards (2019): Barriers to sustainable procurement in the Nigerian construction industry: an exploratory factor analysis, International Journal of Construction Management, DOI:10.1080/15623599.2019.1658697
  51. Orfanidou, V. S., Rachaniotis, N. P., Tsoulfas, G. T., & Chondrokoukis, G. P. (2023). Life Cycle Costing Implementation in Green Public Procurement: A Case Study from the Greek Public Sector. Sustainability, 15(3), 2817.
  52. Orfanidou, V., Rachaniotis, N. P., Tsoulfas, G. T., & Chondrokoukis, G. (2023). Life Cycle Costing Implementation in Green Public Procurement: A Case Study from the Greek Public Sector. Sustainability, 15(3), 2817. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032817](https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032817)
  53. Otali, M., Adewuyi, T., & Ugwoeri, C. J. (2022). Drivers and barriers influencing the implementation of green technology principles for sustainable infrastructural developments in Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. Journal of the Nigerian Institute of Building, 7(66), 66-82.
  54. Oyewobi, L. O., Ija, M. I., & Jimoh, R. A. (2017). Achieving sustainable procurement practices in the Nigerian construction industry: Examining potential barriers and strategies. ATBU Journal of Environmental Technology, 10(2), 63-84.
  55. Oyewobi, L.O.; Jimoh, R.A. (2022) Barriers to Adoption of Sustainable Procurement in the Nigerian Public Construction Sector. Sustainability 2022, 14, 14832. [https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214832](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214832)
  56. Poljanšek, K., Disperati, S., Vernaccini, L., Nika, A., Marzi, S., & Essenfelder, A. H. (2020). INFORM Severity Index.
  57. Pourvaziri, M., Mahmoudkelayeh, S., Kamranfar, S., Fathollahi-Fard, A. M., Gheibi, M., & Kumar, A. (2024). Barriers to green procurement of the Iranian construction industry: An interpretive structural modeling approach. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 21(4), 3599-3616.
  58. Pătârlăgeanu, S. R., Dumitrescu, A., & Ionescu, C. (2020). Training and awareness gaps in sustainable procurement: A cross-country analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 276, 124-135. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124135](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124135)
  59. United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: Abuja Population Projections. New York: United Nations. (Population projection data)
  60. Rahman, T., Ali, S. M., Moktadir, M. A., & Kusi-Sarpong, S. (2020). Evaluating barriers to implementing green supply chain management: An example from an emerging economy. Production Planning & Control, 31(8), 673-698.
  61. Rane, S. B., & Thakker, S. V. (2020). Green procurement process model based on blockchain-IoT integrated architecture for a sustainable business. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 31(3), 741-763.
  62. Shen, L., Zhang, Z., & Long, Z. (2017). Significant barriers to green procurement in real estate development. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 116, 160-168.
  63. Sönnichsen, S. D., & Clement, J. (2020). Review of green and sustainable public procurement: Towards a better understanding of sustainable public procurement. Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, 119188.
  64. Soyege, O. O., Makinde, G. O., & Akinlabi, B. H. (2023). Green Supply Chain Management and Organizational Performance of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Firms in Lagos Nigeria. International Journal of Entrepreneurship, 6(2), 1-20.
  65. To link to this article: [https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2019.1658697](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2019.1658697)
  66. Ullah, A., Ghani, H. U., & Gheewala, S. H. (2023). Green Public Procurement and Ecolabels Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production.
  67. Ullah, A., Ghani, H. U., & Gheewala, S. H. (2023). Green Public Procurement and Ecolabels Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production.
  68. Unegbu, H. C., Yawas, D., & Dan-Asabe, B. (2023). An Assessment of the Literature on the Performance of Construction Projects in Nigeria. Jurnal Mekanikal, 27-38.
  69. Upadhyay, A. K., Sheetal, & Khan, M. I. (2023). Comparing Sustainable Procurement in Green Supply Chain Practices Across Indian Manufacturing and Service Sectors. Business Perspectives and Research, 22785337221148827.
  70. Walker, H., & Brammer, S. (2009). Sustainable procurement in the United Kingdom public sector. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 14(2), 128-137.
  71. Wong W.K., Teh B.H., Tan S.H. (2023) The Influence of External Stakeholders on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting: Toward a Conceptual Framework for ESG Disclosure. Foresight and STI Governance, 17(2), 9-20. DOI: 10.17323/2500-2597.2023.2.9.20
  72. Woolley, F., Macnaughton, A., Milligan, K., & Sandler, D. (2022). Equitable Tax Policies for Post-Secondary Education. Can. Tax J., 70, 595.
  73. World Bank. (2021). Green Public Procurement: An Overview of Green Reforms in Country Procurement Systems.
  74. Yap, J. B. H., Teh, Y. H., Loo, S. C., & Sulaiman, Z. B. (2023). Benefits of green procurement: perspectives from the Malaysian construction industry. International Journal of Construction Management, 1-10
How to Cite

BOBAI, I. A., GAMBO, N., MUSA, M. S., & DAHIRU, A. (2025). GOVERNMENT AND ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS TO GREEN PROCUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC BUILDING PROJECTS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA. Kaduna State University Environmental Sciences Journal, 5(2), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.66884/kesj.2025.4wt34pnz

I. A. BOBAI, N. GAMBO, M. S. MUSA, and A. DAHIRU, "GOVERNMENT AND ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS TO GREEN PROCUREMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC BUILDING PROJECTS IN ABUJA, NIGERIA," Kaduna State University Environmental Sciences Journal, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 30-43, December 2025. doi: 10.66884/kesj.2025.4wt34pnz

Share this article:
Facebook X / Twitter LinkedIn
Download PDF View Full Text (PDF) Back to Articles