ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIAN NATIONAL BUILDING CODE DOMESTICATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND COMPLIANCE IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA

The Nigerian Nation Building Code (NBC) provides essential technical standards for safe construction, aiming to ensure structural integrity, public welfare, and sustainability. It is designed for domestication into state laws. This study investigates the extent of domestication, implementation, and compliance with the NBC in Yobe State using a quantitative survey and field audit. A purposive, maximum variation sampling technique was employed to engage 300 respondents—comprising developers, contractors, clients, construction professionals, and royal fathers—alongside an assessment of 300 randomly selected building projects under a one-respondent-per-project policy. Field investigations reveal that the NBC has not yet been domesticated in Yobe State. Ten core NBC areas were identified and analyzed for compliance, and a Chi-Square test demonstrated a significant difference in compliance between public (76.18%) and private (23.20%) building projects. The study indicts the Yobe State Government for prioritizing safety on public projects while neglecting private sector safety standards. Recommendations include, among others, the full domestication of the NBC and the establishment of a dedicated Building Control Agency that operates independently of other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.