Integrating social value into public procurement: a strategic framework for sustainable construction in Nigerian tertiary institutions

Purpose – This study examines how social value, focused on worker welfare and community well-being, can be integrated into public procurement. Design/methodology/approach – Employing an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, the research commenced with 19 semi-structured interviews at a federal tertiary institution, followed by a survey of 121 construction professionals from public tertiary institutions across 11 northern Nigerian states. Findings – The key findings include the absence of clear mandates for social value implementation for community, workers and limited institutional commitment, revealing gaps in the Public Procurement Act (2007). Originality/value – International best practices are identified through a review of relevant studies and adapted to guide the development of a context-specific framework for Nigeria. The framework offers actionable guidance for policy reform, institutional alignment and capacity development aimed at fostering inclusive and sustainable construction outcomes in the public sector.