Factors confronting quantity surveying practice: The case of Nigeria

Purpose: As the challenges confronting a system are better addressed when known and understood, this paper aims to report the findings of a study that investigated the factors confronting professional quantity surveying using Nigeria as a case. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed and pre-tested as the instrument for collecting data. A total of 64 quantity surveyors practicing in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu completed the questionnaire out of a non-probabilistic sample of 100. Severity Index and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were used in data analysis. Findings: The outcome revealed that the top five factors perceived to be confronting the profession include poor marketing of the profession, opposition from engineers, the dominance of multinational companies that do not have quantity surveying as a distinct profession in their country of origin, widespread corruption in Nigeria and professional incompetence of some quantity surveyors. Furthermore, the two categories of respondents – professional quantity surveyors and probationers – agree in their ranking of the factors confronting the profession. The ranking of the 17 factors between the two categories of respondents was tested using Spearman’s rho. The result showed that the difference in perception of professional members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and the probationers with regard to factors confronting the quantity surveying profession is not significant at p < 0.01. These findings are then discussed in the light of previous works, and implications for both academics and professionals within the quantity surveying profession were highlighted. Originality/value: This study has highlighted the key issues to consider as stakeholders attempt to advance the course of quantity surveying and construction cost management profession.