Most Prevalent Barriers to the Implementation and Adoption of Cloud Computing by Construction Professionals in Nigeria

The construction industry strives for swift, high-quality project completion within budget constraints. Despite leveraging literature and management tools, human decision flaws and collaboration gaps persist, hindering efficiency. The rise of Industry 4.0 in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector promises to address these issues. Acknowledging the industry's interconnected nature, a decision support system utilizing cloud technologies becomes essential for streamlined project delivery. This study aims to identify the prevalent challenges hindering the implementation and adoption of Cloud Computing (CC) in the Nigerian construction industry, integrating existing studies, while uncovering established barriers and identifying those tailored to the Nigerian construction ecosystem. Targeting experienced professionals, the research employs structured interviews and questionnaires for data collection, unraveling intricacies through Descriptive Statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Relative Importance Index (RII) methodologies. The EFA analysis categorizes identified barriers into technical factors across seven groups: Socio-economic factors, Data Privacy, Security, Governance, Awareness and Knowledge, Services and Infrastructures, Training and Education, and Organizational Culture, Environment, and Trust, offering insights into the underlying structure. Results highlight Access to internet facilities, Cost of cloud services, and Operational costs as primary obstacles to CC implementation. Simultaneously, Unstable economic conditions, Unwillingness of organizations to fund Cloud Services not included in the initial contract, and Absence of power infrastructure emerge as significant impediments to CC adoption by construction professionals in Nigeria. Further data examination confirms a limited adoption of existing cloud technologies, indicating huge potentials once broadband internet barriers are resolved, with Microsoft, Apple, and zohoboxplatforms being prominent market.