Project Leadership for Sustainable Performance of Water Projects in Nigeria

Abstract

Water security is at the core of quality and sustainable socio-economic development. Project leaders are responsible to lead project works, engage project team and maintain project team dynamics throughout a project life. Water Projects are continually being utilized as a strategic means through which communities can access clean water both for domestic and economic uses. Shortage of water projects has largely contributed to water scarcity in most parts of Nigeria. This study therefore explores the role of project leadership in achieving sustainable performance of water projects in Nigeria. This study seeks to identify project leadership style that drives sustainable performance of water projects. It also examine functions of project leader‘s that best achieve sustainable performance of water projects. The study also seeks to identify the relationship between project leadership style and functions of project leaders that focus water project towards sustainable performance. The study employed a simple random sampling technique in selecting respondents also, uses the concept of questionnaires on Likertscale. Correlation coefficient and Multiple regression model was use to analyze data. The study concludes that accountability responsibility of project leaders was found to be the project leadership function with greatest influence and Democratic Leadership style was the major project leadership style with greatest influencing capacity to achieve sustainable performance of water project in Nigeria. The study recommends that for water projects to perform better in Africa, democratic leadership style need to be exercise and project leaders need to be more accountable in their responsibility towards sustainable developmental cost and time/schedule performance of water projects.