Correlation between Demographic Characteristics and Building Material Preferences of Civil Servants in Abuja

Abstract

Building material preferences is an aspect of housing preference that has received very little attention from researchers over the years. Materials used in buildings are a function of their availability and suitability, as well as different demographic characteristics. It is crucial for stakeholders in housing provision to understand the building material preferences of individuals based on their demographic characteristics. Majority of governments’ previous housing projects were targeted to workers but failed due to the lack of prior study of their housing preferences. Therefore, this study seeks to assess the links between demographic characteristics and building material preferences among Federal civil service workers in Abuja, Nigeria. The survey method was adopted in this study, and data were collected using structured questionnaire. The population of the study was the Federal civil service workers in all the Federal Ministries in Abuja, and a sample size of 2,133 was gotten out of 40,884 sample frame using Slovin's formula. The respondents were sampled using simple random sampling technique, and the data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics analysis methods. The findings of the study show that most of the correlations are weak (|R| < 0.2), indicating minimal practical significance, despite statistical significance. Preferences for window material and type of door show relatively consistent significant associations across multiple variables. Significant p-values indicate patterns worth investigating further, but the weak R-values highlight that other factors likely have stronger influences on material preferences. The study recommends that further investigation should be conducted on the interrelationship between building material preferences and demographic attributes.