Review of Correlation of Quantity Surveyors’ Education in Nigeria to Skill Requirements for Administration of Civil Engineering Projects

Abstract

Whereas quantity surveyors are adequately engaged in engineering projects in Great Britain from where quantity surveying education in Nigeria derived its source and model, their involvement seems sub-optimum in Nigeria, attributably to perception of the correlation of quantity surveyors’ education to engineering projects’ requirements. This study examined the course curriculum and contents for quantity surveying at both the degree and higher diploma levels with the view to investigating the proportion of education and training of quantity surveyors in the Nigerian education system at undergraduate level that correlate to the skill requirements of the administration of civil engineering projects. The study identified the administration of civil engineering projects under 3 main headings viz: Design, Construction, and Cost appraisal. The study reveals a good correlation of the education and training of quantity surveyors to the skill requirement for providing services requiring measurement of civil engineering works as well as services requiring evaluation of civil engineering works and financial management. The study also revealed 51.2% and 52.2% proportion of the curriculum and course content of University and Polytechnic respectively as focusing directly on the requirement of cost appraisal and administration of the financial aspects of civil engineering and other engineering projects.

Keywords: correlation, education, skill requirement, administration, and civil engineering, quantity surveying