ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL BUILDING CODE IN BORNO STATE

The Nigerian National Building Code (NBC) provides centralized regulations to guide construction, ensure structural integrity, and promote sustainability. This quantitative study investigates the level of implementation of, and compliance with, the NBC within Borno State across 13 key code areas. Utilizing a purposive, maximum variation sampling technique, 320 building projects—balanced across different zones and functional types—were selected to evaluate adherence levels via structured, closed-ended questionnaires administered to developers, contractors, clients, construction professionals, and royal fathers. Field survey data were evaluated using binary scoring matrices and analyzed via chi-square tests of independence to determine variance in enforcement outcomes. The findings reveal that the NBC is only partially domesticated at the state level. Chi-square analysis confirms a statistically significant difference in compliance levels between public and private building projects (p < 0.05), with public projects demonstrating 83.96% compliance with NBC provisions, contrasted by a low 16.04% compliance rate across private developments. It is concluded that the Borno State government has failed to enforce code compliance effectively in private projects, leaving residents vulnerable to unsafe, low-quality, and structurally unstable construction. Recommendations include the full domestication of the NBC and the establishment of an independent, statutory commission to oversee enforcement, among others measures.