Project Cost Reduction - Role of Political Leadership

Development projects are complex undertakings set in multicultural environments. The success of a project is determined not just by financial returns but also by its socio-economic benefits and welfare impacts. To realize the latter, it is imperative that development projects be properly planned, conscientiously executed and monitored. The management of projects should also take cognizance of the diversities of the project milieus. However, in developing countries, projects are often designed as technical interventions with neither adequate institutional set-up nor due regard to the macroeconomic and political environments. Consequently, Project Managers, Advisers and Team Leaders frequently face a wide range of management problems. In Nigeria, many people have assumed the positions of Project Managers not on the basis of their technical skills and managerial experience but because of socio-political considerations and affiliations. The adversities associated with this tendency often manifest, inter alia, in ill-conceived or poorly prepared and managed projects.