ACCESSMENT OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ARTISANS PRODUCTIVITY ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED PROJECT EKPOMA EDO STATE)

ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to access building construction artisans productivity on building construction projects a study of some selected project in Ekpoma Edo State. This is in view of the fact that to date, very little is known about work stress among professionals in building construction industry in this country. For the survey, a total of 50 questionnaires were distributed to the target respondents. Thirty nine completed questionnaires were received, giving a response rate of 78 percent. The collected data was coded and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results were presented as percentages after frequency tabulations and interpretations were based on statistical significance. Three case studies were also conducted to verify the authenticity of the results regarding shortage of artisan skills and causal factors. The paper suggests that apprenticeship training a possible approach to alleviating artisan shortages in the construction industry. Its implementation would strengthen level of artisan skills in construction industry because more skills would be developed and create loyal workforce that brings about growth in skills base for construction companies.

1.3 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The decline in apprenticeship in both the public and private sectors, the increasing use of sub-contractors as well as the uncoordinated approach in the informal sector are contributing factors to the shortage of skilled artisans in the construction industry. Human resources in many developing countries are of insufficient quantity and quality to promote high rate of economic and infrastructural development necessitated by high population growth and sustainable national development. According Abiola, R.O. (2004) the type of manpower mostly needed in large quantity housing construction in Nigeria and globally are artisans and labour. Okuntade (2014) observed that despite the importance of construction technicians to the industry, a large number of them are still untrained, even though the construction industry all over the world have been implementing skill acquisition programme to meet with the demand of change in technology. Adekoya (1999) claimed that for the Nigerian youth to be empowered economically they should be given the necessary skill acquisition and for this to be done the curriculum should be effectively implemented. The chairman board of trustees of CTIN (Alhaji Alinko Dangote) during a trust fund interview with ITF and CTIN (2014) opined that the present effort to enhance the skills of our artisans and craftsmen is therefore a responsibility of impacting skills and knowledge to our trades men and women. Alhaji Alinko Dangote further said that the cost of building a house in Nigeria is 40 per cent higher than in Ghana due to lack of local competent artisans. He added that there is a shortage of 18 million housing in Nigeria and that we are all aware that it has become a norm rather than practice to seek for competent artisans and craftsmen from the neighbouring countries due mainly to inadequate vocational training given to our local tradesmen and women

For the construction industry in Nigeria to serve the economy efficiently, it has to make use of good hands in its operatives, which includes credible, qualify and competent craftsmen. Lerman (2013) also ascertained that Skills are the central source of high productive performance and economic well-being. Both with regard to measurement and policy, the primary focus in the world today has been on academic skills, as measured by tests of reading, writing and math abilities and by educational attainment, including degrees completed. However, a new consensus is emerging that an array of non-academic skills and occupational skills may be at least as important for labour market success and construction crafts skills as vied by this thesis will elevate project performance in our world today. The construction industry occupies a sensitive position, as it plays a prominent role in the economy of any nation ( Achuenu, etal., 2000). Firms are concentrating on financial gains and forgetting the people that make the job and money (Omole,2001).

The problem of the industry is how to reconcile the need for a supply of manpower capable of high productivity in carrying out simplified sequential operations and retains a substantial number of craftsmen capable of highly skilled work. The contractor coordinates and direct his craftsmen (operatives) which according to Dantong (2007) constitute the main workforce of the contractor. The Industrial Training Fund of Nigeria (ITF) (2005) enumerated the following as craftsmen; bricklayers (Masons); steel fixers, electricians; carpenters; painters; plumbers; artisans etc. Construction craftsmen are construction operatives who contribute skilfully with their hands in the practical realization of a project in the construction industry (Dantong, 2007). Most construction projects in Nigeria fail due to poor contractors’ performance which is characterized by (Balogun, 2005) as: poor workmanship; rework; low productivity; late completion; cost overruns; high accident rate; poor work practice and conflicts. Wahab (2000) identified qualitative and quantitative deficiencies in workmanship as some of the factors militating against the attainment of success in the Nigerian construction industry. Usman et al., (2012) evaluated the training of contractor’s craftsmen for productive improvement in Nigeria The craftsmen in the construction industry play a crucial role in the practical realisation of any construction project, they are mostly engaged in the technical aspect of the construction ( Abiola, 2004). Embarking on the training of construction craftsmen will go a long way in curtailing these problems in project delivery in Nigeria.