Project Management of Rural Electrification Programmes in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria

Rural electrification programmes in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria, have been implemented by federal, state, and development partner agencies over the past decade with varying success rates, highlighting the importance of professional project management practices in determining programme outcomes. This study examines project management practices applied in rural electrification programmes across Adamawa State, focusing on planning, procurement, execution, monitoring, and community handover phases. A structured review was conducted of 12 completed rural electrification projects implemented between 2018 and 2023, drawing on project completion reports, monitoring data, post-implementation assessments, and interviews with project managers and implementing agency staff. Project performance was evaluated against schedule variance, cost performance, technical quality, and community adoption outcomes. Findings reveal that projects employing a full-time dedicated project manager with rural electrification experience completed 28 percent faster and with 15 percent lower cost overruns than those managed on a part-time or consultant basis. Community co-design of electrification solutions and advance training of local maintenance committees are associated with higher post-completion system functionality rates. The study identifies inadequate pre-feasibility studies, late procurement processes, and poor community preparation as the three most common project management failures. A project management maturity model tailored to rural electrification contexts in North East Nigeria is presented, with recommendations for adoption by the Adamawa State Rural Electrification Agency. Keywords: project management, rural electrification, Adamawa State, programme implementation, North East Nigeria.