Value Engineering Application in Public Building Projects in Ogun State

Value engineering systematically analyses project functions and their associated costs to identify opportunities for achieving required performance at lower cost, yet its formal application in public building projects in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, is rare despite the significant budgetary pressures facing state capital works. This study evaluates value engineering application opportunities and potential savings in selected public building projects in Ogun State. A professional value engineering study methodology was applied to three completed public building projects (a hospital, a school block, and a government office building) with project documentation obtained from the Ogun State Bureau of Physical Planning and Urban Development. Value engineering team workshops were conducted with five engineers, architects, and quantity surveyors for each project, using the SAVE International value engineering methodology across information, function analysis, creative, evaluation, development, and presentation phases. Results from the retrospective value engineering studies identified potential savings of 12 to 19 percent of project cost while maintaining functional requirements. The most significant savings opportunities across the three projects involved structural system optimisation, mechanical and electrical system rationalisation, and material substitution in non-load-bearing elements. The study concludes that value engineering application in Ogun State public building procurement could generate savings sufficient to fund an additional 15 to 20 percent of the annual capital works programme. Mandatory value engineering studies are recommended for all projects above 100 million naira.

Keywords: value engineering, public buildings, cost savings, Ogun State, construction management