Project Management Best Practices and Timely Delivery of Government Infrastructure Projects in Zamfara State

This study investigates the relationship between project management best practices and the timely delivery of government infrastructure projects in Zamfara State, Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone. Infrastructure project delays represent a pervasive challenge in Nigerian public sector development, undermining investor confidence, eroding public trust, and compounding fiscal pressures on state governments. This research adopts a survey and document review design with data collected from 105 project managers, government officials, and contractors involved in road and public building construction projects. Structured questionnaires and project completion records were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression. The study evaluates project management dimensions including scope definition clarity, risk management protocols, stakeholder engagement quality, scheduling tools utilisation, and contract performance monitoring. Results indicate that scope definition clarity and contract performance monitoring are the most significant predictors of timely project delivery. Poor risk management preparedness was identified as the primary driver of project cost and time overruns. Stakeholder communication failures were found to amplify delivery risks, particularly in projects involving multiple government agencies. The paper recommends that Zamfara State Government institutionalise a formal project management office, mandate the use of standard project management frameworks, and invest in contractor capacity development. Keywords: project management, infrastructure delivery, government projects, Zamfara State, public sector.