Strategic Management of Urban Infrastructure Maintenance in Lagos Metropolis

The deterioration of urban infrastructure in Nigerian metropolitan areas reflects fundamental weaknesses in maintenance management systems, funding frameworks, and institutional accountability. This study examines strategic approaches to urban infrastructure maintenance management in Lagos Metropolis, focusing on the management systems applied to roads, drainage, and bridges by the Lagos State Public Works Corporation. A management-oriented case study design was adopted, combining document review of maintenance management plans, budget allocations, and condition survey reports with interviews of 15 senior infrastructure managers from the corporation and relevant state ministries. Benchmarking against infrastructure maintenance management frameworks from comparable African metropolitan authorities was incorporated. Findings are expected to reveal a predominance of reactive maintenance practices over planned preventive maintenance, insufficient maintenance budget allocations relative to infrastructure replacement values, and weak performance monitoring systems for maintenance contracts. The study also examines contractual management issues with private maintenance contractors and accountability frameworks for completed works. Recommendations propose adoption of a strategic asset management framework for Lagos's urban infrastructure portfolio, shifting maintenance contracts to outcome-based performance specifications, establishing a dedicated maintenance endowment fund, implementing annual infrastructure condition reporting, and deploying mobile reporting systems for real-time maintenance request logging by residents. Keywords: Infrastructure maintenance, Urban management, Lagos, Asset management, Public works.