Transparency in Public Procurement and Project Abandonment in Akwa Ibom State

This study examines the link between transparency in public procurement and the phenomenon of project abandonment in Akwa Ibom State, located in Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone. Akwa Ibom, despite receiving substantial oil revenue allocations, continues to contend with a high incidence of abandoned capital projects, suggesting systemic failures in the procurement and contract management cycle. Using a survey design, the study collected data from 260 procurement officers, contractors, and civil society monitors. Multiple regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis that procurement transparency significantly reduces project abandonment rates. The Transparency and Accountability Framework underpins the study, arguing that open and competitive procurement processes reduce opportunities for corruption and contractual non-performance. Findings reveal that single-source procurement, absence of competitive tendering, and poor supervision of contract execution are strongly associated with project abandonment. The study further documents the role of political patronage in awarding contracts to technically unqualified firms. Recommendations include the full operationalisation of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) guidelines, mandatory publication of contract awards on open data portals, and the introduction of contractor performance bonds. The research contributes empirically to the discourse on procurement reform in Nigeria's oil-producing southern states. Keywords: procurement transparency, project abandonment, Akwa Ibom State, contract management, corruption.