PUBLIC PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE ADMINISTRATION OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS IN NIGERIA TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR

Purpose: The aim of this research is to assess the level of compliance of public procurement regulations and level of application of contract administration practices in project delivery with a view to enhance performance of tertiary institution projects. 
Design/methodology/approach: Survey design was adopted where data were obtained from 635 valid structured questionnaire. The methods of data analysis were simple percentage, mean score, Kruskal – Wallis test and Bonferron- Dunn test. 
Findings: The results revealed that there is high level of compliance with public procurement regulations among tertiary institution in Nigeria, however there is moderate level of application of sustainable contract administration practices. There is significant difference in the level of compliance with public procurement regulations based on institutions’ characteristics. However, the study indicated that there is no significant difference in the opinion of institutions on level of application of sustainable contract administration practices in construction project execution in the tertiary education sector in Nigeria. 
Research limitations/Implications: The study revealed that there is high level of continuous improvement and learning as well as promotion of collaboration among the professionals and other stakeholders in project delivery. Furthermore, waste reduction strategies were highly applied during construction, and promotion of diversity in construction was encouraged. Ethical responsibilities were highly supported and encouraged. 
Practical implications: Tertiary institutions in Nigeria should improve on the level of application of sustainable contract administration practices by improving top management support, corporate governance, professionalism in public procurement, effective stakeholder participation, and organizational culture. 
Originality/value: Models for predicting the strength of concrete block walls developed on the basis on these findings would contribute to accurate assessment of structures incorporating low strength concrete block walls.