Developing an Original Framework for Integrating Indigenous Building Technology Knowledge into Contemporary Construction Practice in Nigeria

Indigenous building technology knowledge embedded in Nigeria's diverse ethnic building traditions represents a repository of climate-responsive, resource-efficient, and culturally appropriate construction knowledge that is being lost to rapid urbanisation and Westernisation, and developing a framework for integrating this knowledge into contemporary practice constitutes an original scholarly and practical contribution. This study develops an original Framework for Indigenous Building Technology Knowledge Integration (FIBTKI) for Nigeria, drawing on indigenous knowledge systems theory, ethnoscience, and construction technology innovation models. The framework addresses the capture, validation, adaptation, and mainstreaming of indigenous building technology knowledge across Nigeria's regional traditions. Research was conducted in three phases. Phase One documented indigenous building technology knowledge from eight ethnic building traditions across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones through 200 hours of ethnographic fieldwork with 85 master builders, community elders, and traditional architects. This produced an original Nigerian Indigenous Building Technology Compendium covering structural systems, material technologies, environmental adaptation strategies, and maintenance traditions. Phase Two conducted laboratory and field validation of selected indigenous technologies (mud block stabilisation, thatch roofing thermal performance, cross-ventilation courtyard design, and timber joint systems) against performance standards derived from contemporary building technology requirements. Fourteen indigenous technologies achieved performance equivalence or superiority to conventional alternatives in at least one performance dimension. Phase Three developed and tested an integration model specifying pathways for each validated technology from documentation to professional practice adoption. The FIBTKI constitutes the first systematic framework for indigenous building technology knowledge integration in Nigeria and provides a replicable model for comparable knowledge systems globally.

Keywords: indigenous building technology, knowledge integration, vernacular architecture, Nigeria, sustainable construction