Investigating encumbrances facing green construction practices implementation in Nigeria’s public higher education institutions projects: a qualitative approach

Purpose High energy consumption by higher education institutions (HEIs) structures may enhance air pollution, flooding and land degradation. These hazardous environmental problems can be prevented or mitigated in a green enabling environment. Thus, implementing green construction practices (GCP) in HEI projects may successfully prevent or mitigate environmental threats. There is a paucity of studies regarding barriers facing GCP implementation in Nigerian public HEIs. Hence, this study aims to explore GCP’s barriers and identify measures to improve implementation in Nigerian public HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used a qualitative approach through virtual interviews to achieve the study’s objectives. Eighteen interviewees were engaged via a convenient sampling technique and achieved saturation. The researchers adopted a thematic method to analyse the collected data. Findings Findings identified material, stormwater, waste and energy management practices as the major GCP, showing lax implementation in most public HEIs. Results grouped the encumbrances facing GCP implementation in Nigerian public HEIs into six groups. This includes government, organisation, financial, technical, design team and stakeholders encumbrances. Findings show that identifying measures to address these encumbrances would improve GCP implementation in Nigerian public HEI projects. Originality/value The research contributes to GCP literature. It stirs relevant stakeholders, especially public HEI authorities, towards enacting measures via policies and programmes that will improve GCP implementation in Nigeria’s HEI projects. The outcome would advance the existing GCP knowledge and improve achieving sustainable development goal (SDGs) related to education, construction and health and safety performance.