Factors Militating Against Infrastructure Delivery in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract: Infrastructure serves as the backbone of socio-economic growth, yet its delivery in Delta State, Nigeria, has continued to lag despite the state’s resource endowment. This study assessed the factors militating against infrastructure delivery using the perceptions of thirty (30) construction professionals comprising nine architects, six civil/structural engineers, six quantity surveyors, four builders, three land surveyors, and two town planners. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS (v.24), applying Relative Importance Index (RII) and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test for validation. Findings revealed that the most critical barriers to infrastructure delivery include mismanagement of public funds (RII = 0.86, 2nd rank), unsuitable procurement practices (RII = 0.86, 2nd rank), adverse economic conditions such as inflation, interest and exchange rate fluctuations (RII = 0.86, 2nd rank), and the difficult lowland riverine terrain (RII = 0.86, 2nd rank). The upland undulating topography was also significant (RII = 0.85, 5th rank), while poor contract documentation (RII = 0.75, 6th rank) and lack of political will (RII = 0.75, 6th rank) further constrained delivery. Conversely, youth restiveness (RII = 0.41, 10th rank) and lack of proper project management (RII = 0.53, 9th rank) were perceived as less critical. All factors tested were statistically significant at α = 0.05, with Wilcoxon statistics ranging from 29.5 to 114.0 (p < 0.05), thereby rejecting the null hypotheses. The study concludes that systemic inefficiencies, fiscal mismanagement, and geographical constraints constitute the dominant impediments to infrastructure delivery in Delta State. It recommends strengthening financial accountability, reforming procurement systems, diversifying state revenue beyond oil dependence, and adopting context-specific engineering solutions to overcome terrain-related challenges. Implementing these strategies would not only improve infrastructure performance in Delta State but also advance sustainable development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Keywords: Infrastructure delivery, Delta State, Budget allocation, Procurement, Mismanagement of public funds, Youth restiveness, Political will, Project management, Sustainable development goals (SDGs). Title: Factors Militating Against Infrastructure Delivery in Delta State, Nigeria Author: Aduze C.O., Okolie K.C. International Journal of Novel Research in Civil Structural and Earth Sciences ISSN 2394-7357 Vol. 12, Issue 3, September 2025 - December 2025 Page No: 1-6 Novelty Journals Website: www.noveltyjournals.com Published Date: 03-September-2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17044761 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/Factors%20Militating%20Against%20Infrastructure-03092025-2.pdf