Chinese Project Management Practices and Their Application in Nigerian Construction Firms

Chinese project management approaches, characterised by rapid delivery timelines, lean resource deployment, and hierarchical decision structures, have gained visibility through the execution of major Chinese-financed infrastructure projects in Nigeria. This study explores the professional applicability of Chinese project management practices to Nigerian construction firms and examines experiences of Nigerian project managers who have worked on Chinese-led projects. A professional survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 80 Nigerian project managers and construction professionals across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt who have direct experience working on Chinese-led or Sino-Nigerian joint venture projects. Semi-structured interviews with ten senior professionals provided qualitative depth. Findings reveal that Chinese-style intensive scheduling and milestone-driven progress management are valued by Nigerian professionals as efficiency-enhancing techniques. However, the highly centralised Chinese command structure conflicts with Nigerian workplace norms that value consultation and participative decision-making. Communication hierarchy management, technical documentation standards, and quality assurance approaches are identified as areas where Nigerian firms most benefit from Chinese practice exposure. The study concludes that selective adoption of Chinese project management techniques, adapted to Nigerian organisational culture, can improve delivery performance in Nigerian construction firms. Professional development programmes offering Chinese project management certification with localised modules are recommended for Nigerian construction sector practitioners.

Keywords: Chinese project management, Nigerian construction, professional development, project delivery, Sino-Nigerian firms