Comprehensive Investigation of the Factors That Led to the Abandonment of Lalong's Legacy Projects on the Plateau Between 2015 - 2023

Project abandonment remains a major challenge to infrastructure development in Nigeria, with significant social, economic, and political consequences. In Plateau State, the administration of Governor Simon BakoLalong initiated the Lalong’s Legacy Projects in 2016, comprising 21facilities - nine primary schools, six secondary schools, and six hospitals - across the 17 Local Government Areas. Although the projects were initially scheduled for completion within 32 weeks at a contract sum of ?59 billion (later revised to ?29 billion in 2021), many remained uncompleted by the end ofthe administration in 2023. This study investigated the causes of project abandonment using survey data from 72 respondents drawn from community members,project staff, government officials, and construction professionals. Data analysis through the Relative Importance Index (RII) revealed that client-related factors, particularly poor contract management (RII = 0.8000) and inappropriate procurement methods (RII = 0.7667), were major contributors. Contractor-related factors such as poor site management (RII = 0.8139) and inadequate technical competence (RII = 0.7917) were also significant. Consultant-related issues, including inadequate design and documentation (RII = 0.8500) and poor feasibility studies (RII = 0.8139), highlighted technical weaknesses. External and community-related influences ranked highest overall, with pandemics and health emergencies (RII = 0.8806), insecurity (RII = 0.8389), and economic instability (RII = 0.7944) exerting the greatest impact. The study concludes that sustainable project delivery requires effective governance, improved technical capacity, and resilience against external disruptions. Recommendations are proposed for government, consultants, and contractors to reduce the risk of project abandonment.