The Integration of Circular Economy Principles into Building Designs in Lagos, Nigeria: A Systematic Integrative Review

Abstract

Circular economy (CE) principles offer a restorative alternative to the linear construction model that dominates Lagos, a megacity facing a housing deficit of 2–3 million units and generating over 2.5 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste annually. While policy momentum is building, the extent to which CE principles are being embedded in building design practice remains unclear. This integrative review synthesises the empirical evidence to map the current state of CE integration in Lagos’s building design sector, its benefits, barriers, and the institutional frameworks shaping the transition. Following Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative review framework, a systematic search of Scopus, Web of Science, and African Journals Online was conducted for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2010 and April 2026. After screening and eligibility assessment, 23 peer-reviewed studies were included and thematically synthesised. Four analytical themes emerged. First, awareness of circular design strategies among Lagos-based design firms is moderate, yet adoption skews heavily toward strategies that slow and narrow resource loops, while closing-resource-loop strategies remain negligible. Second, an entrenched informal material recovery network achieves high recycling rates for metals and timber but lacks quality assurance. Third, quantified benefits are documented, but economic and knowledge-related barriers, particularly short-term client mindsets and a volatile economy, dominate. Fourth, a nascent regulatory push, including LAWMA’s Circular Economy Department and the draft National Building Code revision, is advancing faster than practitioner capacity. A transition model from informal waste recovery to formal design-led circularity is proposed. This review provides the most comprehensive synthesis to date of CE integration in Lagos’s building design sector, revealing a critical implementation gap between awareness and practice. A multi-stakeholder framework is advanced to guide policy, practice, and future research in rapidly urbanising African contexts.