STAKEHOLDERS PERCEPTION ON THE AWARENESS OF GREEN BUILDING RATING SYSTEMS AND ACCRUABLE BENEFITS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN NIGERIA

The construction industry has been relying on the government building codes to plan and execute most construction projects. Numerous researchers have shown how green building rating systems have various intrinsic advantages, and offers solutions to many environmental related problems, relative to the convectional practices. The study investigates the construction professional’s perception on the awareness of green building rating systems and the accruable benefits in construction projects in Nigeria. The study objective include assessing the awareness status of green building rating systems as well as the most preferred rating system for possible adoption in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from various respondents who were construction professionals. Random sampling techniques were used to select one hundred-fifty (150) respondents out of which ninety-one (91)were used for data analysis. The results indicate that most of the building industry professionals in Nigeria are familiar with green building rating systems and preferred Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)for possible adoption in Nigerian construction projects. The findings have important implications for policy and practice. The study recommends full establishment of Green Building Council of Nigeria (GBCN) that will be responsible for awareness creation, introduction of guidelines, tools and techniques that will drive green practices for future project