Assessment of the Key Factors Responsible for the Shortage of Skilled Artisans in the Nigerian Construction Industry

The growing shortage of skilled artisan in the construction industry calls for concern. This paper examines the causes of the issue with a view to provide a direction for policy makers in the industry. The research design was basically survey. It involved a 2 rounds Delphi survey among 25 selected expert in the construction industry. Data were collected by simple random sampling from 370 stakeholders in the construction industry by means of structured questionnaire. It applied descriptive statistics for the analysis of data. The essential elements are assessed and ranked according to their average ratings. The findings indicate that the primary cause of the scarcity of skilled artisans in the Nigerian construction sector is the insufficient investment in staff and manpower development, as evidenced by a mean score of 4.46. This is closely followed by a lack of interest in skill acquisition, with a mean score of 4.42.