Evaluation of Construction Project Delays and Their Causes in Bayelsa State Public Sector Projects

Construction project delays impose significant cost overruns and service delivery failures in Nigeria's public sector, and their causes in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria, require empirical documentation. This study evaluated the incidence and causes of delays in 25 public building construction projects in Bayelsa State implemented between 2019 and 2023. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to project managers, contractors, consultants, and government client representatives (n = 75). Delay causes were ranked using the Relative Importance Index. Contract documents and project completion records were reviewed for each project. Results showed that 23 of 25 projects experienced delays, with an average delay of 62% beyond the original contract duration. Inadequate project funding and payment delays by government clients ranked first in importance among delay causes (RII = 0.89). Poor contractor financial capacity ranked second (RII = 0.84), followed by design changes and variations (RII = 0.79), community interference (RII = 0.74), and inadequate site supervision (RII = 0.71). Cost overruns averaged 43% above original contract sums. The study concludes that delayed government payments and contractor financing limitations are the dominant causes of construction project delays in Bayelsa State public projects. Recommendations include mandatory project funding escrow accounts for public contracts and pre-qualification screening for contractor financial capacity.

Keywords: construction delays, public projects, Bayelsa State, relative importance index, cost overruns