Effects and resolution guidelines of land-use conflict in construction management in Lagos state, Nigeria

Abstract

Construction management involves the organisation of human and material resources to achieve prompt and cost-effective construction project delivery. The structure of construction management is complex in nature. It involves several individuals, including professionals who handle different aspects of projects. Like every other field that involves the management of human and material resources, construction management is prone to several challenges, one of which is land-use conflict. Due to the unprecedented urbanization process fuelled by rural-urban migration in Lagos State, Nigeria, there has been a rapid growth of informal settlements whose existence usually result in land-use conflicts between the government and the communities. As informal settlements, the communities are often neglected in the provision of basic services and opinions of residents are usually not considered in respect to land-use pattern developments. This study examined the effects of land-use conflict in construction management in Lagos State, Nigeria, with a view to developing managerial guidelines for its effective resolution. The study used quantitative survey instrument in retrieving data from professionals in the State Ministries. The questionnaires were analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software and results presented using descriptive method with the aid of tables. The result shows that land-use conflict affects the progress, sequence and completion phase of construction with the planning, problem solving and communication skills of the manager found to be the most important soft skills in resolving land-use conflicts. The study also found that change in socio-economic benefits in informal settlement is the most likely reason for land-use conflict. Among the recommendation of the study is that education curriculum of construction managers should integrate courses on soft skills to complement the professional’s technical skill acquired for construction management.