International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 2013, 2(3): 85-92 DOI: 10.5923/j.ijcem.20130203.06 Assessment of Knowledge Management Practices among Construction Professionals in Nigeria Oke A. E. * , Ogunsemi D. R., Adeeko O. C. Department of Quantity Surveying, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B. 704, Akure, Nigeria Abstract This research work examined the areas of the construction industry that will improve as a result of the contributions of knowledge management. Data for the analysis were collected through questionnaires administered on construction professionals using convenient sampling method. The study revealed that the knowledge management adoption is being hindered the most in Nigeria by funding as there is no adequate fund to carry it out in construction organizations. In conclusion, it was observed that colleague’s experience was ranked first among the sources of knowledge available to construction professionals in Nigeria as most construction professionals in Nigeria don’t read much and are not exposed to other methods of acquiring knowledge within the organisation, and fund is the highest ranked problem hindering the adoption of knowledge management among Construction Professionals. It was then recommended that Civil Engineers, Builders, Middle managers, Lower managers and Technicians should improve in the level at which they transfer and share knowledge with other construction professionals and that the Federal Government of Nigeria should inject more fund to the construction industry of the country as this is a very productive sector of the economy. Keywords Construction Industry, Construction Professionals, Knowledge Management, Nigeria 1. Introduction According to[1], knowledge management (KM) is a process of systematic management of vital knowledge and its associated process of creating, gathering, organising, diffusion, use and exploitation. It requires turning personal knowledge into corporate knowledge that can be widely shared throughout the organisation. All organisations are awash with information and knowledge. The problem is that it is invisible and most people in organisations simply don’t know what their colleagues know. The organisations don’t know what their employees know, nor do they have any way to find out or organise it. They typically have fewer grips on the knowledge available outside – owned by competitors, suppliers, universities and the government. Knowledge management is about getting the right knowledge to the right people at the right time. Knowledge management according to[2] is about sharing and acquiring knowledge in ways that can be translated into improved organizational performance. The intellectual capital of individuals and teams are presented in a tangible form that facilitates the adding of value to the organization and ultimately its customers[3]. This process of added value is achieved through continuous recycling and creative use of * Corresponding author: emayok@gmail.com (Oke A. E.) Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/ijcem Copyright © 2013 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved shared knowledge and experience. This is followed by the structuring of shared competencies with the help of technology, process maps and descriptions, manuals, networks and so on, to ensure that competence remains in the organization even when staff leaves. The knowledge, once packaged, becomes part of the capital of the organization. This creates an environment for the rapid sharing of knowledge as well as sustained and collective knowledge growth. Lead times between learning and knowledge sharing are shortened and human capital becomes more productive through intelligent work processes. Knowledge management is about acquiring, structuring, and transmitting intellectual material for the benefit of the organization. One of the major misconceptions of knowledge management is that it is about information technology[4]. Knowledge management application among construction professionals in developing economy is still an under chartered territory hence its role and application cannot be over emphasized.[5] believed that the role of knowledge management is to identify what information and knowledge is important to the organisation, finding out where it is held, and mobilising it so that staff can apply it in their work. However, it is now being recognised that the management of project knowledge (especially within the construction industry where projects are implemented by temporary 'virtual' organisations) is open to considerable improvement, both within construction organisations, and between firms in the supply chain[6]. The emphasis on Knowledge Management according to[7] reflects the growing realisation