Lean Construction Practices and Construction Waste Management in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in megacities such as Lagos, Nigeria, has intensified construction waste generation, creating environmental and municipal waste management challenges. This study investigates the integration of Lean Construction Management (LCM) principles with environmental waste management strategies to support sustainable urban development.  A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A structured questionnaire was administered electronically to construction professionals in the built environment, including builders, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and project managers. From a study population of 6,875 registered professionals, the target sample was 371 (e = 5.05%). A total of 166 valid responses were retrieved (44.74% of target), yielding an effective precision of 7.67% at 95% confidence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Relative Importance Index (RII), and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Findings demonstrate a high baseline awareness of LCM, with 30.1% reporting very high awareness. Reliability testing yielded Cronbach's alpha values of 0.87 (Awareness), 0.98 (Waste Types), 0.98 (Benefits), and 0.98 (Strategies). EFA confirmed a unidimensional structure for each construct: Waste Types (KMO = 0.963, 73.56% of variance), Benefits (KMO = 0.918, 89.03%), and Strategies (KMO = 0.931, 85.13%). All items loaded above 0.80. RII ranking identified poor coordination between trades (RII = 0.784), poor communication (0.764), and rework/variation/negligence (0.757) as the most significant waste-generating factors. Value Stream Mapping (0.793) and Continuous Improvement (0.792) emerged as the most important strategies for enhancing LCM adoption.