Failure of Public Building Projects: An Investigation of Abandoned Hospital Projects in Imo State, Nigeria

Failure and abandonment of government projects have been a global phenomenon. The study aims at evaluating factors involved in the abandonment of the proposed hospital building projects in the 27 local government areas in Imo State, Nigeria; with a view to developing a framework that will be used as a guide to revive the abandoned health facilities. Among the specific objectives is to evaluate the factors responsible for the abandonment, compare the performance of the procurement method used for the hospital project with other procurement methods, and to assess the effects of the abandoned hospital projects on the socio-economy and environment of Imo state. The targeted population includes the 4 members of the community government Council (CGC) and the building production professionals in the study area. Field survey research method was adopted for collection of both parametric and non parametric data. Ranking of the factors of abandonment was done using the Relative Importance Index (RII), student t-test and ANOVA were use to carry out tests on differences amongst variables of two and more than two sample populations respectively. Chi-square test was used to ascertain dependency of factors of casual relationships. Findings show that the three most significant factors that could cause the abandonment of the hospital project are; poor project implementation, negative politics practiced by the government, and inadequate structure to ensure continuity of projects. The study also finds that the failure of the abandoned project does not depend on the procurement method used. Again, the condition of contract used on the abandoned hospital project is deficient. Lowering of living standard, lack of trust on the government by the citizenry, and visual defects of the environmental are the three most significant implications of the abandoned hospital projects on the socio-economy and environment of the Imo state are. The study however succeeds in developing a framework which can be used as a guide to revive the abandoned hospital project in Imo state; through integration of structure for developmental continuity from one administration to the other, and independent body of monitoring and implementation responsibilities. It is therefore recommended that the ingredient contained in the frame work be applied in the study area.