JOSES OMOOWIYE EGUABOR

This study examines the impact of material wastage on construction project cost and delivery in Benin City, Edo State, with a view to identifying its causes and evaluating strategies for mitigating wastage during construction. The research was driven by the increasing cost overruns, reduced profit margins, and inefficiencies associated with waste generation on construction sites in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to construction professionals including quantity surveyors, architects, builders, site supervisors, and engineers operating within Benin City. A total of 200 valid responses were analyzed using Mean Item Score (MIS) for ranking the causes, cost implications, and mitigation strategies .Findings revealed that the major causes of material wastage include delay in the use of materials, ineffective communication, use of substandard materials, human negligence, improper mixing, and inadequate supervision. The results further indicate that material wastage significantly contributes to increased overhead costs, extended project duration, poor resource utilization, escalation of material prices, loss of productivity, and budget overruns. The study also identified Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery, improved material handling, proper material storage, reuse and recycling, and the adoption of digital planning tools as the most effective strategies for minimizing waste. The study concludes that material wastage poses a substantial challenge to cost efficiency and project performance in the construction industry and recommends enhanced supervision, accurate material estimation, improved site management practices, and policy enforcement to reduce wastage and improve overall project delivery. Suggestions for further research include comparative studies across cities, financial quantification of waste-related losses, and evaluation of prefabrication technologies in waste
reduction.