Lan, R; Adenuga, O and Awolusi, I (2025) Impact of construction project failure on key project stakeholders: Assessing the perspectives of professionals in Lagos metropolis. Construction Economics and Building, 25(3-4), pp. 90-120. ISSN 2204-9029
Abstract
Construction project failures in rapidly developing urban environments can have farreaching consequences across multiple stakeholder groups. This study examines the broad-ranging impacts of construction project failures in Lagos, Nigeria, focusing on clients, contractors, consultants, and the general public. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines questionnaire data from construction professionals with in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. Quantitative techniques, including the relative severity index (RSI) and cluster analysis, complement qualitative insights. The results reveal that financial and economic impacts, particularly loss of revenue, cost escalation, and time overruns, are the most significant consequences. Clients emerge as the most severely affected stakeholder group, followed by the general public, contractors, and consultants, underscoring the broad societal implications of project failures. Cluster analysis uncovers distinct patterns in stakeholder perceptions, revealing how professional experience influences the perceived severity of project failures. Qualitative insights from interviews provide additional depth, illustrating the psychological toll on professionals and the erosion of public trust in development initiatives. This research contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive, stakeholder-centric analysis of project failure impacts in a rapidly urbanizing context. It offers practical recommendations for policymakers, industry professionals, and urban planners, emphasizing the need for enhanced financial oversight, improved stakeholder engagement, and a shift toward a more collaborative industry culture. These insights are crucial for developing effective risk management strategies in dynamic urban environments like Lagos.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | cluster analysis; construction; developing countries; project failure; project stakeholders |
| Index terms: | strategy, toll, revenue, developing country, interview, cost escalation, urban environment, cluster analysis, construction project, thematic analysis, economic impact, project stakeholder, questionnaire, Nigeria, project failure, time overrun, severity index, construction professional, Lagos, stakeholder engagement, planner, risk management |
| Subjects: | project completion, economic analysis, Geography, production management, development economics, financial analysis, environmental hazards, transportation engineering, urban sustainability, community and social dimensions, profession, risk assessment, data collection methods, data analysis and analytics, methods and analysis, professional development, management, economics, project controls, sociology |
| Topics: | Sustainability, Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Project Management, Time Control, International Construction, Urban Studies, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Information Management, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here