Assessment of Dispute Resolution in the Construction Industry in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Construction industry is a fertile source of dispute because it involved many human and non-human factor and variables. Dispute management is an integral part of the overall projects management process in Nigeria. This study looked at various causes of disputes and ascertains the preferred alternative dispute resolution methods in the construction industry. Data was collected through questionnaire survey and analysed using percentile and mean score. The result shows that the main causes of disputes were non-payment of certified sums; financial claims; wrongful determination of contract, ambiguous contract documents; inadequate provisions in the contract conditions and misinterpretation of contract documents. The study also revealed that the preferred resolution methods in descending order were agent resolution, mediation, conciliation, adjudication and arbitration. The research recommended that contracting parties should adopt dispute prevention strategies rather than settlement and that when dispute arises, they should exercise teamwork, build trust among each other and select agent resolution or mediation in managing such dispute.

Keywords: Causes of Disputes, Resolution Techniques, Construction Team, Disputes Prevention, Nigeria.