Professional Assessment of Quality Management in Road Maintenance Contracts in Plateau State

Road maintenance contract quality management in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, is undermined by weak quality assurance systems, inadequate testing protocols, and limited professional supervision capacity. This study professionally assesses quality management practices in road maintenance contracts administered by the Plateau State Road Maintenance Agency, examining ten maintenance contracts executed between 2020 and 2023. A professional assessment methodology combining document review of quality management plans, field inspection of completed maintenance works, and interviews with 20 contract supervisors and engineers was adopted. Quality performance was assessed against specifications contained in the FERMA/State roads maintenance standards for surface dressing, pothole patching, and drainage works. Field testing included pavement surface texture measurement, core compaction testing, and drainage adequacy verification. Results indicate that only 30 percent of reviewed contracts include documented quality management plans. Laboratory testing frequency is below specification in 65 percent of contracts. Visual acceptance of completed works without testing accounts for 70 percent of handover certificates. Surface dressing chip size and spread rate compliance is below target in 58 percent of inspected sections. The study concludes that quality management in Plateau State road maintenance contracts is systemically deficient and recommends introduction of independent quality audit requirements, minimum testing frequency schedules, and performance-based payment mechanisms linked to quality output indicators.

Keywords: quality management, road maintenance, contract management, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria