IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL POLICY (JHSP )

E-ISSN 2545-5729
P-ISSN 2695 2416
VOL. 10 NO. 4 2024
DOI: 10.56201/jhsp.v10.no4.2024.pg88.107

---

Stakeholders’ Participation and the Viability of Public Projects in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Thompson Olusegun Ewata, Yimovie Sakue-Collins, Epem Ubodiom, Edoni Harold Harcourt

---

Abstract

The involvement of the key stakeholders (direct beneficiaries/end users, local government authorities, etc.) of any project, at whatever level, is a key factor to the project’s success. How does the level of stakeholder participation impact the success and sustainability of public projects in Bayelsa State? This study employed an eclectic approach that involved a transdisciplinary approach to examine the intersection between communication and sustainability of public projects as well as a mixed-methods approach which entailed quantitative survey and qualitative interviews of project stakeholders in Sagbama Town, in the Sagbama Local Government of Bayelsa State. This paper focuses on the 75,000 Litre Solar Water Plant Project in Sagbama and utilises the quantitative survey (i.e. structured questionnaire) to explore the nexus between communication, collaboration and sustainability of public projects in the state. With data obtained from forty (40) stakeholders – contractors, government officials, community leaders, and community based organisations (CBOs) – the study found that the level of stakeholders’ involvement in project planning, decision-making, and monitoring are key factors of a project’s viability which is gauged by features as community involvement in project conception and execution, project completion rates, community ownership, and long-term functionality. The study also discovered that poor communication, limited resource allocation, and a lack of clear institutional mechanisms for engagement are part of the different barriers to meaningful stakeholder participation. The study recommends inclusive stakeholder engagement, collaborative project planning, capacity building and training, transparency and accountability amongst others for strengthening stakeholder participation frameworks and enhancing the sustainability of public projects in Bayelsa state in particular and other resource-rich but developmentally-ch

keywords:

Bayelsa State, public projects, communication, sustainability, stakeholders

---

References:

Acquisition International. (2024). How stakeholder engagement in public sector projects can
building trust. https://www.acquisition-international.com/how-stakeholder-engagement-
in-public-sector-projects-can-building-trust/
Aguilera, J., & Hayes, T. (2021). Effective Stakeholder Communication in Community

Projects. Public Management Review, 23(2), 189-205.
Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of

Planners, 35(4), 216-224.
Ashade, O. A. & Mutereko, S. (2022). explores the role of collaborative governance and project
community stakeholding in infrastructural governance in developing countries, drawing
on Nigeria’s experience. The African Journal of Governance and Development, 11(1.2),
233–255. https://doi.org/10.36369/2616-9045/2022/v11si2a2
Awhefeada, U. V., Aloamaka, P. C., & Kore-Okiti, E. T. (2023). A realistic approach towards
attaining sustainable environment through improved public participation in Nigeria.
International
Journal
of
Professional
Business
Review,
8(4),
1–23.
https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i4.844
Awortwi, N. (2012). Building new competencies for government decentralization reforms: The

case of Mozambique. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 25(7), 595-
Baker, B. N., Murphy, D. C. & Fisher, D. (1997). Factors affecting project success. In Project
management handbook (pp. 902–919). Wiley.
Barasa, R. M., Mukanzi, C. M. & Samson, N. A. (2021). Assesment of Stakeholder
Participation as Criterion for Sustainability of Community Based Public Health Projects
in Western Kenya. Journal of Business Administration Research, 10(2), 1–57.
Bayelsa State Government. (2024). Bayelsa State. Official Website of Bayelsa State
Government. https://bayelsastate.gov.ng/our-history/
Bazimya, S. (2023). Examine how stakeholders’ participation in project identification
influence project performance, case study: Musanze district. Cognizance Journal of
Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(11), 524–533.
Brinkhoff,
T.
(2024).
Bayelsa
State
in
Nigeria.
City
Population.
https://citypopulation.de/en/nigeria/admin/NGA006__bayelsa/
Brunet, M. & Aubry, M. (2016). The three dimensions of a governance framework for major
public projects. International Journal of Project Management, 34(8), 1596–1607.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.09.00
Castro, M. S., Bahli, B., Barcaui, A. & Figueiredo, R. (2021). Does one project success measure
fit all? An empirical investigation of Brazilian projects. International Journal of
Managing Projects in Business, 14(3), 788–805.
Chambers, R. (2007). Whose Reality Counts? Putting the First Last. ITDG Publishing.
Dwivedi, R. & Dwivedi, P. (2021). Role of stakeholders in project success: Theoretical
background and approach. International Journal of Finance, Insurance and Risk
Management, 11(1), 38–49.

Eade, D. (1997). Capacity-Building: An Approach to People-Centred Development. Oxfam.
Eversole, R. (2018). Stakeholder analysis. In H. Callan (Ed.), The international encyclopedia
of
anthropology
(pp.
1–6).
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118924396.wbiea2138
Ewata, T. O. (2024). Analysis of lexical bundles in university inaugural lectures. 14, 68–90.
Ezeh, M. O., Ogbu, A. D., Ikevuje, A. H. & George, E. P. E. (2024). Stakeholder engagement
and influence: Strategies for successful energy projects. International Journal of
Management
&
Entrepreneurship
Research,
6(7),
2375-2395,.
https://doi.org/0.51594/ijmer.v6i7.1330
Fraser, C., & Restrepo-Estrada, S. (1998). Communication for Development: Human Change

for Survival. New York: I.B. Tauris.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum.
Gasik, S. (2016). Are public projects different than projects in other sectors? Preliminary
results of empirical research. Procedia Computer Science, 100, 399–406.
Grégoire, P. (2024). Stakeholder analysis: What is it? Definitions, tools and techniques.
Borealis Blog. https://www.boreal-is.com/blog/what-is-stakeholder-analysis/
Hendricks, A. (2023). The importance of stakeholders: Identifying & prioritizing stakeholder
engagement. Simply Stakeholders. https://simplystakeholders.com/the-importance-of-
stakeholders/
Indeed. (2024). Stakeholder interests: Importance and examples. Career Guide.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/stakeholder-interests
Jain, A. (2021). Participatory Governance in Sustainable Development Projects: Challenges

and Opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Development, 14(3), 33-45.
Johnivan, J. R. (2023). Understanding different types of stakeholders and their roles. Project
Management Articles. https://project-management.com/types-of-stakeholders/
Jones, P., et al. (2021). Project Management and Stakeholder Engagement: A Comparative

Study. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 34(1), 121-140.
Kane, T. (2018). Community Participation in Development Projects. Journal of Development

Studies, 56(2), 321-339.
Kassel, D. S. (2016). Managing public sector projects: A strategic framework for success in
an era of downsized government. Routledge.
Ketokivi, M. & Mahoney, J. T. (2022). Stakeholder analysis. In Efficient organization: A
governance approach (pp. 99–130). Oxford University Press.
KissflowInc. (2023). How to identify and manage project stakeholders? Case Management
Project. https://kissflow.com/project/project-stakeholder-management/
Management, A. for P. (2019). APM Body of Knowledge. In APM Body of Knowledge (7th
ed.).
Association
for
Project
Management.
chrome-

extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/p
df/stakeholder-participation.pdf
Mansuri, G., & Rao, V. (2012). Localizing Development: Does Participation Work? World

Bank.
Mansuri, G., & Rao, V. (2013). Localizing Development: Does Participation Work?

Washington, D.C.: World Bank Publications.
Matu, J. , Kyalo, D. , Mbugua, J. & Mulwa, A. (2020). Stakeholder participation in project
planning: prerequisite to effective completion of urban road transport infrastructure
projects in Kenya. Journal of Building Construction and Planning Research, 8, 73–91.
https://doi.org/10.4236/jbcpr.2020.81006
Mertens, G., & Smith, C. (2020). Challenges in Community-Based Project Collaboration.

Journal of Community Development, 45(3), 298-315.
Miller, D. & Oliver, M. (2015). Engaging stakeholders for project success. Project
Management Institute White Paper.
Monroe, M. & Waggoner, B. (2024). Public projects with preferences and predictions. ArXiv
Preprint ArXiv:2403.01042.
Mosse, D. (2005). Cultivating Development: An Ethnography of Aid Policy and Practice. Pluto

Press.
Munang, R., Thiaw, I., Alverson, K., Liu, J., & Han, Z. (2014). The role of ecosystem services

in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Current Opinion in

Environmental Sustainability, 6, 47-52.
Munro, D. A., Munang, R., & Rivington, M. (2016). Enhancing Adaptive Capacity through

Community-Based Sustainable Management. Sustainability Science, 11(3), 389-398.
Nguyen, T. S., Mohamed, S. & Mostafa, S. (2021). Project stakeholder’s engagement and
performance: A comparison between complex and non-complex projects using SEM.
Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 11(5), 804–818.
NigeriaGalleria. (2021). Brief history of Bayelsa State. Brief History of Bayelsa State.
https://www.nigeriagalleria.com/Nigeria/States_Nigeria/Bayelsa/Brief-History-of-
Bayelsa-State.html
Njue, N. G., Mulwa, A. S., Kyalo, D. N. & Mbugua, J. M. (2021). Implementation, stakeholders
participation and sustainability of public projects in Kenya: A conceptual framework.
Journal of Sustainable Development, 14(4), 100–107.
Nnadi, E. O. E. & Oyama, E. O

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back