Empirical Investigation of Construction Project Communication Failures and Their Effect on Cost Performance in South South Nigeria

Communication failures between project team members are frequently cited as a primary cause of construction project cost overruns, and their empirical investigation in South South Nigerian building projects fills a gap in regional construction management research. This study empirically investigated the relationship between communication failures and cost performance in 35 medium-to-large building construction projects across Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States. Communication quality and failure frequency were assessed through structured questionnaires administered to project managers, consultants, and clients (n = 105). Communication assessment covered information flow adequacy, meeting quality, documentation practices, and digital communication tool use. Cost performance was measured by cost performance index derived from project financial records. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were used to assess the communication-cost relationship. Results showed that communication quality score was significantly positively correlated with cost performance index (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). Projects with documented formal communication protocols had a mean cost performance index of 0.87 compared to 0.69 for those without (t = 4.32, p < 0.001). The most common communication failures were inadequate scope change communication (reported in 83% of projects) and late design information distribution (74%). Digital project management tool use was associated with significantly better communication scores (mean: 3.6 vs. 2.8 out of 5) and cost performance. The study recommends mandatory communication management plans and adoption of cloud-based project management platforms for South South Nigerian building projects. Keywords: communication failures, cost performance, construction projects, South South Nigeria, project management