A Review of Nigerian Green Building Policy Frameworks and Its Integration in Sustainable Urban Planning

Green buildings (GB) have proven to be an important way to respond to environmental degradation, depletion of resources, climate change caused by rapid urbanization. Due to the increasing rate of urban growth in Nigeria, and the demands for increased infrastructure, there is a growing need to include GB principles in the development of sustainable urban planning. In this study, Nigerian GB Policy Frameworks (GBPFs) are reviewed and analysed concerning their degree of integration within sustainable urban planning. A Narrative Literature Review with systematic elements was using secondary data, including policy documents and international GB standards from 2000 to 2025. The review focused on four primary Nigerian policy documents (the National Building Code (NBC), National Housing Policy (NHP), Energy Efficiency Building Code (EEBC) and the Green Building Council of Nigeria (GBCN)) and provided a comparative analysis between the Nigerian GBPFs and the international frameworks - LEED, BREEAM, EDGE, Green Star and Green Mark. The findings indicate there has been progress in GB construction practices in Nigeria; however, the existing GB policies (GBPs) in Nigeria are largely fragmented, poorly enforced, and poorly integrated into urban planning processes. Institutional overlaps, lack of adequate financial resources, lack of technical capacity, lack of stakeholder engagement and the absence of a nationally sanctioned GB rating system present ongoing barriers to implementation. The comparative analysis indicates that countries which have implemented stronger regulatory frameworks, greater financial incentives, and introduced compulsory certification systems achieve greater success in the integration of GB principles into urban development. The study advocates a legally binding national GB framework that would provide for improved institutional coordination, the provision of financial incentives, the establishment of climate-responsive standards, and robust monitoring mechanisms to support sustainable urban development in Nigeria.