Building Contracts Administration and the Nigerian National Building Code: A Synergistic Overview

Abstract

The overall system of contract administration in Nigeria takes after the Joint Contract Tribunal (JCT) Conditions of Contract applicable in the U.K the performance of the nations projects in terms of meeting predetermined contract objectives has remained a source of worry for construction industry stakeholders in spite of wide adoption of contract documents for their administration. Scholars and practitioners alike are having a growing concern for a critical review of them for achievement of synergy. This paper aims at sensitizing building industry stakeholders of the dynamics of a rapidly changing environment and the need to harmonize existing contract documents to meeting local construction criteria while complying with global best practices. The methodology of study involved a critical exposition of existing relevant literature and case studies of related construction scenarios. The findings of the study include the imperatives of revising the subsisting Standard Form of Building Contract (SFBC) in Nigeria, by infusing the values of the National Building Code (NBC) for improved project performance. The study concludes with a need to explore all areas of interface between the SFBC and the NBC; with an aim of achieving a synergy that would enrich the documentation of the Conditions of Contract and its adaptation in building contracts in Nigeria. The study recommends a harmonization of key contract documents especially the Standard Form of Building Contracts (SFBC) with the National Building Code (NBC) for improved building contract administration, minimization of building collapses and enhancement of the built environment in Nigeria.