EVALUATION OF AWARENESS OF STUDENTS IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME ON SUSTAINABILITY IN NIGER STATE

Abstract

Sustainability is a broad and complex concept, which is one of the major issues confronting construction in the 21st century. Sustainable principles, when applied, lead to the creation of systems that balance social, economic and natural resource requirements of the present and future generation. One of the major hindrances to the development and implementation of sustainability strategies in the construction sector is poor awareness level. Therefore, institutions of higher education are essential stakeholders in fostering understanding and forging a way forward in achieving a sustainable future. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the sustainability awareness and understanding of final year students in construction field at the Universities and Polytechnics located in Niger State, Nigeria. The quantitative technique was employed for this study and questionnaire survey instrument was used for data gathering. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) questionnaires were distributed to respondents from Building Technology, Architecture, Quantity surveying, and a total of one hundred and ninety nine (199) representing 80% were received and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The findings of this study identified twenty sustainability principles applicable to construction project, nine of these principles should be given more attention in construction projects and suggest a higher level of awareness of sustainability principles among students in University than among Polytechnic students. Similarly, the general acceptance on desire to apply and integrate sustainability principles is significantly higher for both 500 level and HND II. However, the findings suggests the inclusion of environment impact assessment, design and sustainable development, the use of the campus as laboratory, and student to attend a conference into curriculum as sustainability courses and modalities for inculcating sustainability idea in students. Regulatory body of higher institutions of learning and practice should ensure that sustainability and its dimensions for competence growth must be included in the curriculum.