Project Management Approach to Public Low-Income Housing in Nigeria

Abstract

This research assesses the impacts of project management (PM) variables on the socio-economic formation of public low-income housing (LIH) users in Abia and Imo States. Primary Data were obtained using two structured questionnaires; one for each of the LIH providers and users. Data analyses employed a combination of multiple regression, correlation and ANOVA methods. The results show that 95.1% of the socio-economic impacts of LIH projects can be explained using PM variables, and that the model: SEI=.085+0.25PS+0.620PPC+0.165PC+0.217PT-0.003PQ gives the relationship between the socio-economic impact of public low income housing (LIH) and the PM variables: project scope control (PS), project planning (PPC), project cost control (PC), project time control (PT) and project quality control (PQ). Findings from the study show that project quality (PQ) does not significantly affect the socio-economic impacts of public LIH projects, while project planning and control (PPC) has the most socio-economic impact on LIH projects. The study recommends that formal project planning and control should be adopted and intensified as a mechanism for optimizing the socio-economic impact of public LIH housing projects, while project quality should be improved on for higher standard of living and structural fitness of LIH projects.