Assessing the Societal Impact of Public Road Projects Using the Battelle Method: An Ex-Post Cost-Benefit Analysis in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Ex-post Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is an essential instrument that aids in assessing the worthwhileness of an ongoing or completed project in order to forestall the reoccurrence of low positive impact or detrimental projects in the future. Incessant arguments on whether the dualization of Umaru Makama Dogo road in Nasarawa town of Nasarawa Local Government in Nasarawa State, Nigeria actually impacted positively or not on the immediate society instigated this research. This study assesses the impact of public construction project on the society using the dualization of Umaru Makama Dogo road as a case study from the perspective of the project beneficiaries. Data for the study were sampled from 392 respondents from which a consensus was achieved by averaging their views. The data was analysed using battelle method having screened out parameters that do not apply to the project under consideration. Findings from the study revealed that the project has a positive ecological, aesthetic and humanitarian impact on the environment, though with low magnitude, considering the categorical EIUs falling below 40% (2.83%, 10.35% & 32.32% respectively) which is below average. While a negative impact was discovered in the area of Pollution having a minor magnitude with EIU = -20%. Generally, the project impacted positively on the environment having a total EIU of 183.84 (18.38%) but with a minor magnitude. This implies that the project impacted positively on the society but below the level anticipated by the beneficiaries coupled with little detrimental effects. Corrective measures were recommended to reduce or possibly avoid the reoccurrence of such low impact and adverse effects on public projects of this kind in the future.