Ebekozien, A.; Thwala, W. D. and Samsurijan, M. S. (2026) Appraising circular economy business model adoption in construction projects to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11. International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 44(3), pp. 685-703. ISSN 2398-4708
Abstract
Purpose – Scarce resources and the high cost of construction materials, coupled with clients' requests for value for money, are challenging. Innovations such as the circular economy business model (CEBM) can create value and deliver while ensuring sustainable construction projects. However, CEBM adoption may be stunned by barriers. There is a paucity of studies concerning CEBM and its relevance in improving the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 in Nigeria. This study aims to investigate hindrances facing CEBM adoption in construction projects and suggests measures to promote usage and, by extension, improve the achievement of SDG 11. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted qualitative research and collected primary data via oral interviews. A convenient sampling technique selected 28 participants. This comprised knowledgeable construction practitioners in circular economy (CE) and SDGs from Lagos and Abuja. The collated data were analysed manually. Findings – Findings reveal that stakeholders should promote CEBM adoption in Nigeria's construction project delivery to improve achieving Goal 11. Also, it grouped the perceived barriers to CEBM adoption in construction project delivery into construction contractor and/or housing developer, government and/or policymaker, economic, market and/or user and technological know-how-related barriers. The research recommended measures to promote CEBM adoption in construction projects and, by extension, improve the achievement of Goal 11. Originality/value – This study adds to the paucity of literature by identifying CEBM barriers in construction project delivery. As part of the value, the findings will help in CEBM policy formulation uptake in construction project delivery and improve the achievement of SDG 11.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | business model; circular economy; construction projects; Nigeria; Sustainable Development Goal |
| Index terms: | sustainable development goal, sampling, business model, construction material, Lagos, Nigeria, circular economy, sustainable construction project, construction project, qualitative research, methodology, Abuja, value-for-money, housing developer, construction contractor, interview, construction practitioner, construction project delivery |
| Subjects: | research methods, sustainable construction, evaluation, production management, sustainable design, Geography, practitioner, professional development, sociology, project controls, business, research design and methodology, data collection methods, building materials |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Stakeholder Management, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Time Control, Sustainability, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Project Management, Value Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here