NSE links project failures to poor procurement

The Deputy President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Valerie Agberagba, has linked project failures in Nigeria's construction sector to poor procurement practices. Speaking at the Big 5 Construct Nigeria event in Lagos, Agberagba emphasized that the country is not short of projects but rather struggles with completing and maintaining them.

She highlighted that urbanization, population growth, and rising demand for housing, power, transport, water, and industrial infrastructure are expected to keep increasing, but the sector is facing significant challenges in converting project pipelines into financed, executed, and sustained projects. Agberagba stressed that proper procurement is crucial for successful infrastructure delivery, as many projects fail due to inadequate planning and weak procurement processes.

She also criticized the lowest-bidder rule, which often leads to abandoned or overpriced projects, as contractors may compromise standards to secure contracts. Agberagba urged stakeholders to adopt a development-led approach, combining market demand, land and planning, utilities, finance, construction, and maintenance to improve the country's construction outlook by 2026.