The Perceived Underlying Issues/ Need for the Study

Whilst these statistics may be giving an impression of complacency or corruption on the part of the highway agencies in the Niger Delta, adverse ground conditions in the region have been repeatedly identified by the highway agencies as the explanation behind these extreme cost escalations. Okon (2009) had quoted cost overrun figures as high as 500% associated with some of the completed highway projects in the Niger Delta region, and attributed this to the various geologic environments in the region, which bears significantly higher risks than other parts of Nigeria. Joseph (2012), as well as Ihuah and Benibo (2014) have equally corroborated this stance in empirical studies investigating the causes of project cost overruns, delays and abandonments in the Niger Delta region. Vulnerability to ravaging environmental (flood and erosion) related disaster; adverse weather conditions; inaccessible and geo-hazardous impassable wetland terrain, were some of the distinct attributes of the region, cited as responsible for the current state of highway project delivery.

However, several other empirical studies in the local literature (Mansfield et al., 1994; Okpala and Aniekwu, 1998; Ajibade and Odeyinka, 2006), have consistently identified issues related to lack of geotechnical best practices, such as: weak and insufficient technical studies and preliminary engineering, design and specification deficiencies as well as inaccurate budgetary and engineering design estimates as contributing to the high spate of project delays and abandonment in Nigeria.

Despite these consistent referrals to lack of best practices, the scale of the problem experienced by highway agencies has not been established in the literature. As such whether adequate geotechnical evaluation is ensured, before the commencement of road works in the region remains in doubt, and would need to be established in the field work. This is logically linked to the rather robust body of literature centred on investigating the high incidence of premature road

failure in the region (Ajayi, 1987; Abam, 2005; Aigbedion, 2007; Emujakporue, 2012), although beyond the scope of this research. Sunjka and Jacob (2013), in a study investigating the causes of project delays in the Niger Delta, revealed changes in specifications and designs which were not considered originally, have impeded the time effective delivery of road works in the region, further reinforcing the researcher’s perception. It was suggested:

“Improper design stalls project execution in the Niger Delta because of the time it takes for such design to be reviewed, amended and accepted for construction works” (Sunjka and Jacob, 2013: 641).

Validation of this assertion will thus be inferred in relation to the stipulated highway standard, recommended by the Federal Government for the construction of highways in Nigeria. The Transportation and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL, 1993) Overseas Road Note 31 guide, sets out a catalogue of design configurations suitable for the various subgrade soils inherent in the tropical setting of Nigeria. The application and level of adherence to this standard by highway agencies in the Niger Delta, which should logically be based on adequate ground investigation as a pre-requisite for detailed designs and costing for proposed roads, however is not known. This is therefore investigated as part of the field work.

Claims and variations arising during construction phase for road works in the Niger Delta region have also been mostly linked to ground conditions in the literature, which have invariably negatively impacted on both project duration and cost (Dlakwa and Culpin, 1990; Sunjka and Jacob, 2013). This is particularly the case in the coastal and meander zones of the Niger Delta which currently has a significant infrastructure backlog (EU Report, 2011; Ngerebara et al., 2014). Literature and physical evidence show that there exists a rather significant spate of extensive project delays and abandonment in these areas, which has retarded the economic development of the local riverine communities to be serviced by such roads (Ossai, 2012). Mansfield et al. (1994) further revealed that unclear definitions of contract terms and technical details by the client, were some of the factors causing significant cost overruns leading to delays and abandonment of highway projects in Nigerian public projects. Mansfield et al. (1994) specifically noted the consequent high level of financial risk exposure to the clients (highway agencies) in contracts awarded on a rather arbitrary basis. The basis of contract award and execution by highway agencies in the Niger Delta has thus being generally criticised, as being poorly packaged due to alack of relevant technical know-how on procurement best practices, with contractors standing to benefit from this shortcoming (Okon, 2009; Sunjka and Jacob, 2013).

This was further reinforced by the World Bank’s (2000), in a Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR) for Nigeria. Collectively these studies assert that there exists a need to align best practice into highway project delivery in the region.

As a result of the extensive local literature supporting the link between geology, the lack of geotechnical best practices, and cost and time overruns, it can be argued that in the context of the Niger Delta, the prevalence of the outlined ground related issues in practice, would culminate in a significant disparity between initial budgeted estimates, design estimates, and tender estimates in relation to final cost. As the ICE (1991:12) succinctly enunciates: “The ground is a place where things are likely to go wrong, the worst the ground, the higher the risk”