Significant Causes and Effects of Project Delays in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Social infrastructure and amenities are crucial to creating sustainable communities. The Niger Delta region has been severely deprived by a lack of basic social amenities. In 2009, the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan (NDRDMP) was launched to ensure well-coordinated developmental programmes. Implementation of the master plan is expected to be completed within fifteen years at a cost of over USD 36,000,000. The continuous rise in the inflation rate in Nigeria would increase the cost of implementing the master plan, if the projects are not completed on scheduled time. Although most of these social amenities projects ‘construction works began over the past years, their completion times have, however, been pushed back beyond the stipulated completion durations. Additionally, delays in infrastructural projects could impede oil exploration and cause negative impacts on the socio-economic activities of the Nigerian state. This, therefore, poses serious concern to the developmental partners in the region. This study investigates the major causes and effects of construction project delays in the Niger Delta Region.