EFFECT OF ABANDONED ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF KISHI-KIAMA FEDERAL ROADS

Abstract

Successive governments in Nigeria had invested billions of dollars in different projects especially road infrastructural projects to develop the economy and improve the living conditions of Nigerians. However, it is disheartening to see that very few of these road projects have achieved the desired objectives despite all efforts made by succeeding administrations in the country. In the current fourth republic, Nigeria's landscape is littered with thousands of abandoned projects, especially road projects which are either uncompleted or abandoned due to inability of succeeding administrations to learn from the past project failures. This ugly trend is making several road projects not able to deliver their intended goals for which they were initiated. The study examines the causes and negative effects of road project abandonments on the economy. The study was conducted using qualitative research based content analysis method and data were generated from personal interviews, observatory works and from the archival records. Findings of the study revealed several causative factors for road project abandonment especially the abandoned Kishi-Kaima road project which is selected as case study.Such factors includes inadequate funding, inflationary trend, variations of the project costs, political factor occasioned by change of government and due process problem among others. The study concluded by recommending workable solutions for the completion of the abandoned road project such as strict application of Public Procurement Act and prompt payment of valuation certificates due to contractors to facilitate seamless execution of works, thereby reducing and eliminating the menace of road project abandonment in Nigeria.