Drivers and Barriers of Sustainable Green Buildings in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

About 40% of the world’s energy is being consumed by building around the world (UNEP & SCBI), these results in many environmental issues, resulting from land degradation, air pollution such as carbon and other toxic gas emissions, depletion of the ozone layer, water pollution etc. These problems can be resolved if the buildings we live happens to be a sustainable building. In this paper drivers, barriers of green construction of residential buildings were discussed through revising different past literatures. Finding from this research shows that green building exist in Nigeria but at a very little percentage. Also government policy, enforcement and incentives or motivation were also very negligible, thereby hindering the awareness of the importance of green building to the public, and making house ownership very difficult in Nigeria. Also the design of architects helps in increasing the problem of green building in Nigeria. This recommends the use of local renewable construction materials, motivation and review of government policies in the aspect of green construction and provision of green housing rating system.