Assessing knowledge and skills gap for construction 4.0 in a developing economy

Most developing economies are plagued by a low supply of skilled human capital, which is a known driver of economic growth and development. The introduction of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) concept to the construction industry referred to as Construction 4.0 has introduced new technologies that require an increase in knowledge and skills requirement for workers. This comes with a host of challenges for developing countries. To this end, the current study focuses on Nigeria, which is the largest economy in Africa and a fast developing country. The study therefore seeks to explore the knowledge and skills gap among professionals within the Nigerian construction industry. This was achieved via a structured survey research design to elicit information from professionals in the construction industry. A convenience sampling technique was used to select 136 respondents. Data collected from the questionnaire were analysed using mean score, Pearson chi-square and t test of SPSS V23. The findings revealed a moderate knowledge level of Construction 4.0 technologies and a low level of training among professionals. Also, the result shows a high skills gap in human machine communication, data analytics and cyber security. The study recommends the promotion of human capital development to enhance the implementation of Construction 4.0. This can be achieved via a review and redesign of existing curricula in educational institutions and commitment on the part of management and professional bodies to training and re-skilling of the workforce.