Polycentric cultural framework for infrastructure procurement in Nigeria

The high failure rate of most infrastructures in sub-Saharan Africa is alarming, particularly in Nigeria, where the dearth and deterioration of infrastructure constantly imposes severe constraints on economic growth and development. Consequently, existing institutions or strategies which are designed to reproduce effective infrastructures in areas that lack them have been mostly unsuccessful. A carefully conducted survey covering the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria identified inadequate maintenance and inconsistent procurement strategies as the major factors responsible for unsustainable infrastructure delivery. In view of the fact that a stable infrastructure is an essential prerequisite for sustainable development, this paper presents a polycentric cultural framework for infrastructure maintenance and procurement in Nigeria, a framework which emphasises the integration of infrastructure users throughout the process, from conceptualization to actual delivery of infrastructure, by taking the recipients’ culture, beliefs and values into account. It also emphasises the use of systemic referendum amongst users and stakeholders via the traditional consultative processes before the actual delivery of infrastructure and services.