Assessment of Stakeholder Management Practices in Infrastructure Development Projects in North Central Nigeria

Stakeholder management is a critical success factor for infrastructure development projects, and professional assessment of its practice quality in North Central Nigeria, where community resistance and political interests intersect, provides important evidence for project governance improvement. This study assessed stakeholder management practices in 15 infrastructure development projects across Plateau, Niger, Nassarawa, Kwara, and Kogi States. Projects covered included road construction, rural electrification, water supply, and institutional building programmes. Stakeholder management was assessed using the PMI Stakeholder Engagement Framework across five process areas: stakeholder identification, analysis, planning, engagement, and monitoring. Data were collected through structured interviews with 45 project managers, government officials, and community representatives, supplemented by project documentation review. Results showed that stakeholder identification was conducted in 80% of projects, but stakeholder analysis quality was adequate in only 40%. Community engagement was reactive (responding to protests) rather than proactive in 67% of projects. Projects with formal stakeholder engagement plans completed on schedule at 3 times the rate of those without (53% vs. 18%). Government community liaison officers were absent or ineffective in 73% of projects. Land compensation disputes arising from inadequate stakeholder management contributed to delays in 9 of 15 projects. The study concludes that early-stage community engagement and formal stakeholder management plans are essential for infrastructure project success in North Central Nigeria and recommends their mandatory inclusion in Federal Ministry of Works project management guidelines.

Keywords: stakeholder management, infrastructure projects, North Central Nigeria, community engagement, project governance