Effectiveness of Project Governance Frameworks in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Projects in Abuja

Project governance frameworks provide the structures, policies, and oversight mechanisms that enable organizations to direct and control project investments effectively. This study evaluates the effectiveness of project governance frameworks in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) capital projects in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, North Central Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey will recruit 160 project directors, portfolio managers, governance officers, and project sponsors from NNPC Group and affiliated subsidiaries. The Organizational Governance Framework Assessment Questionnaire (OGFAQ) will measure governance effectiveness across accountability structures, decision rights, reporting lines, and performance review mechanisms. Project delivery outcomes including cost and schedule variance will be correlated with governance quality scores using Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Recent evidence from Nigerian national oil companies suggests that governance ambiguities, overlapping mandates, and inadequate independent oversight are primary contributors to project delivery failures. This study will generate evidence to support NNPC's ongoing governance reform agenda and contribute to best-practice guidelines for state enterprise project governance in Nigeria. Keywords: project governance, NNPC, capital projects, Abuja, governance framework