Title: The Influence Of Stakeholders' Engagement On Project Performance In The Niger Delta Region
Authors: Dr. Micah Nyone Uelee and Prof. Eze Basil U.
Volume: 9
Issue: 7
Pages: 9-17
Publication Date: 2025/07/28
Abstract:
The study determined the influence of stakeholders' engagement on project performance in the Niger Delta Region. The study aimed to ascertain how dimensions of stakeholders' engagement, such as accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness, relate to project performance measures, such as cost effectiveness, stakeholder satisfaction, and timely project completion. The population of the study consisted of accessible one hundred and ninety-two (192) stakeholders, consisting of notable individuals from the State Government, construction firms, communities, non-governmental organizations, religious organizations, and pressure groups across the nine Niger Delta States (Abia = 19, Akwa Ibom = 23, Bayelsa = 20, Cross River = 24, Delta = 22, Edo = 20, Imo = 21, Ondo = 18, and Rivers = 25). Since the researcher did not have much to handle, the entire population of one hundred and ninety-two (192) stakeholders became the study's sample size. This implied that the study made use of a census sampling technique. After proper validation, primary data were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha via SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) was used to ascertain the instrument's reliability. 192 questionnaire copies were given to the target respondents. However, the researcher retrieved 178 of them (i.e 93% retrieval). The test of hypotheses was done using Spearman's rank-order correlation in SPSS Version 23.0. The study revealed that: accountability has a strong positive influence on cost effectiveness in the Niger Delta Region; transparency has a very strong influence on stakeholder satisfaction in the Niger Delta Region, and inclusiveness has a very strong positive influence on timely project completion in the Niger Delta Region. The study concludes that the true involvement of stakeholders in project construction and other factors influences projects' early completion and stakeholders' satisfaction. Among others, the study recommended that there should be development and maintenance of transparent and open communication channels between project managers and stakeholders concerning projects in the Niger Delta, as this can help ensure that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the project's progress, addressing concerns and suggestions promptly.