THE IMPACT OF INFORMAL STAKEHOLDER INFLUENCE MECHANISMS ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS IN NIGERIAN ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

This research studied the influence of the informal stakeholder influence mechanism on stakeholder engagement effectiveness in road infrastructure projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research philosophy was positivism, and the approach was deductive. The study used a survey research strategy with a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Data collection was carried out using a structured questionnaire administered through Google Forms. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used due to the absence of a database of informal stakeholders in the Lagos State Road infrastructure sector. One hundred and three (103) respondents participated in the study. The research instrument was tested and confirmed to have high reliability, measuring α = 0.874 for community leadership and social networks, α = 0.882 for informal negotiation and political mediation, α = 0.866 for stakeholder participation and inclusiveness, and α = 0.845 for conflict resolution and project acceptance. All instruments exceeded the accepted reliability score of 0.70. The researcher supervisor confirmed face validity. The results showed that community leadership and social networks had a weak, statistically insignificant correlation with stakeholder participation and inclusiveness (ρ = 0.138, p = 0.164). However, community leadership and social networks was found to have a moderate statistically significant relationship with conflict resolution and project acceptance (ρ = 0.351, p = 0.001). Informal negotiation and political mediation had a weak though statistically significant correlation with stakeholder participation and inclusiveness (ρ = 0.211, p = 0.033). Informal negotiation and political mediation was also found to have a moderate statistically significant relationship with conflict resolution and project acceptance (ρ = 0.388, p = 0.001). The correlation between informal negotiation and political mediation and conflict resolution and project acceptance was found to be the strongest among all relationships studied. Consequently, three out of the four hypotheses were confirmed to be true. Therefore, this study concludes that informal stakeholder influence tactics are likely to have a stronger relationship with conflict resolution and project acceptance than stakeholder participation and inclusiveness. The study recommends that project managers and government statutory agencies such as Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure should consult community leaders and informal negotiators from the beginning of a project, instead of waiting until conflict arises. Project teams should establish direct, clear-cut lines for stakeholders’ participation rather than channel participation through community leadership for true and inclusive stakeholder engagement.