CAUSES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FAILURES AND ABANDONMENTS IN NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
Building and other civil engineering infrastructure development projects such as houses, churches, schools, highways, bridges, dams, tunnels, air port, sea port, and so on litter the entire Nigeria. According to Osemenan (1987), Nigeria has become the “world’s junk-yard of abandoned and failed projects worth billions of naira, and it is greatly unthinkable that Nigeria, blessed with so much potential in the building and construction industry, can experience such magnitude of project failure and abandonment.” According to another report by Kotangora (1993), there are approximately 4000 uncompleted or abandoned projects belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria with an estimated cost of more than N 300 billion that will take 30 years to complete at the government’s current execution capacity. He also claims that this issue of abandonment and construction project failure has been ignored for far too long, which is now having a multiplier effect on the construction industry. The building and construction business is extremely important to any country’s economy. Building and construction activities typically expand in a strong economy, but in a down economy, project abandonment and construction failures are more common. According to Akindoyeni (1989), some of the causes of project abandonment and construction failure in Nigeria are client deaths, client inability to attract funds, and lack of adequate planning. The act of terminating any operations or maintenance works on such development project within the time period of the contract agreement and with no intention of returning to the development (Spelman, 1993). Similarly, while thinking on property development projects, O’Flaherty (1993) suggests that it occurs when an owner or developer ceases to offer the required maintenance management to a created property. Construction failure could also occur as a result of poor planning. However, because real estate development is a capital-intensive endeavor, it should be thoroughly evaluated to determine its feasibility and viability before proceeding. However, as has been noted on multiple instances, governments, contractors, and organizations have abandoned development projects midway through construction and completion. The causes and effects of these development project abandonments and construction failures are not limited to one reason, but rather cut across several (Ayodele and Alabi, 2011), resulting in a total dwindling effect on the values of developed properties located nearby. Any targeted development initiatives are anticipated to be accomplished while also adding value to the built environment’s aesthetics. However, development projects are short-term activities performed to create a one-of-a-kind product or service with a predetermined start and end date (Gardner, 2005). The fulfillment of such goals should be reached at all times, else such development is unnecessary (Gardner, 2005). Infrastructural projects (such as houses, electricity, roads, schools, and drainage) are examples of development projects relevant to the research framework. The study’s goal, on the other hand, is to explore and analyse the reasons and consequences of development project abandonment and construction failure in Nigeria.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
The continuous abandonment and failure of development projects is so distressing in developing nations that Nigeria has remained one of them (Ayodele and Alabi, 2011; Kotangora, 1993; Osemenan, 1987). As a result, the significance of project abandonment and construction failure on the aesthetics of the environment, real estate and its values, and the economy cannot be overstated, because some development projects provide basic services that should meet the needs of the people. This study, on the other hand, will look into the causes of construction project failure and abandonment in Nigeria.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The following are the study’s objectives:
1. To investigate the reasons behind building project failures and abandonments in Nigeria.
2. To investigate the consequences of building project failure and abandonment in Nigeria.
3. To find a solution to Nigeria’s construction project failure and abandonment problem.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
1. What factors contribute to construction project failure and abandonment in Nigeria?
2. How do building project failures and abandonments affect Nigeria?
3. What is the solution to Nigeria’s building project failure and abandonment problem?
1.6 THE STUDY’S SIGNIFICANCE
The following are the study’s implications:
1. The purpose of this research is to educate the general public and building industry specialists about the causes of construction project failure and abandonment in Nigeria, with the goal of proposing a solution to the problem.
2. This research will also serve as a resource base for other academics and researchers interested in conducting additional research in this sector in the future, and if utilized will go so far as to provide new explanations for the topic.
1.7 STUDY SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This research on the causes of construction project failure and abandonment in Nigeria will look at abandoned projects, failed projects, and any other abandoned infrastructure facilities.
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint- A lack of funds tends to restrict the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection procedure (internet, questionnaire, and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this investigation alongside other academic activities. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
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