Lean Construction Implementation for Housing Delivery in Nigeria: A Professional Assessment

Lean construction principles, which focus on waste elimination, continuous improvement, and value-stream optimisation, have improved construction efficiency significantly in contexts where they have been implemented, but their systematic application to housing delivery in Nigeria remains nascent. This study professionally assesses the feasibility and potential benefits of lean construction implementation for housing delivery in Nigeria, drawing on case study analysis and practitioner interviews. A professional assessment methodology was adopted, examining three housing development projects in Abuja, Lagos, and Enugu where partial lean principles (prefabrication, Last Planner System, and pull scheduling) had been adopted. Project performance data including labour productivity, material waste rates, rework frequencies, and schedule variance were compared with equivalent conventional projects. Interviews with 30 construction managers, architects, and developers provided professional perspectives. Results indicate that the Last Planner System adoption on the Abuja case study reduced schedule variance by 42 percent and increased reliable task completion from 48 to 74 percent. Prefabrication of walling elements in the Enugu project reduced wall construction time by 35 percent. Material waste rates on lean-informed projects were 18 percent lower than conventional counterparts. The study concludes that lean construction adoption in Nigerian housing delivery is technically feasible and economically beneficial, but requires skilled facilitators and supply chain development. A Nigerian lean construction implementation roadmap is proposed.

Keywords: lean construction, housing delivery, Last Planner System, construction efficiency, Nigeria