THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF ABANDONED PROJECT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL

THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF ABANDONED PROJECT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL

CHAPTER ONE

1.0            INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Project abandonment has being characterized with lots of challenges on environmental matters, it is a fact to say that, it has served as the basement to so many environmental challenges ranging from poor sanitation, land degradation, lost in property value, social crime e.t.c

 Abandon has being defined as “to stop doing something” because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue (Longman Dictionary). Planning is a foremost thing to be done if projects are to be completely executed Akindoyeni (1989).The successful completion of a project depends on adequate planning which also includes financial planning. The sight of abandoned projects scattered across the length and breadth of Nigeria is alarming.

In Nigeria today, the landscape is littered with abandoned project such as buildings, road, rail way line, ports and other infrastructural projects at all levels of governance from Local Government through the State Government to the Federal. Engineering project is described to be a scheme or an undertaken designed to achieve specific objective(s) of the promoter or client. Although , viewed construction process, operation and maintenance is demanding and requires massive investment whose returns comes very slowly with possible leakage through lack of cash flow management. Unfortunately many of these projects in Nigeria are out rightly abandoned even at conception stage. According to Akindoyeni (1989) “abandonment” refers to structures on which taxes and mortgages are no longer paid, and for which services are neither paid for nor provided. They are unoccupied, vandalized, boarded-up, deteriorated or those which have unmaintained grounds. “Abandonment” can mean an owner ceasing to provide maintenance and operating services to a building, or the loss of an owner’s legal right to a building, or the demolition of a building” Olapade (2011).An abandoned construction project is an uncompleted project in a time frame of a contract. Hence, there is urgent need to look inward and examine critical factors militating against project completion and occupation in accordance with its conception. This study unveils the possible causes and effects of abandoned project on the environment in Zuba town and its environs.

Nigeria has become the “world’s junk-yard of abandoned projects worth billions of naira and it is greatly unthinkable that Nigeria blessed with so great Potentials in the construction industry can experience such magnitude of project abandonment. According to a report by Kotangora (1993) there are about 4000 uncompleted or abandoned project belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria with an estimated cost of above N 300 billion which will take 30 years to complete at the present execution capacity of government, also according to him this issue of abandonment been left without adequate attention for too long, is now having a multiplier effect on the construction industry in particular and the National economy as a whole. The construction industry plays a very significant role in the economy of any nation. A healthy economy usually experience an increase in construction activities, but in a depressed economy, the incidence of project abandonment tends to be more prevalent. According to Akinolu (1980) delays and cost overruns have “knock on” the effect on the construction industry and indeed in the whole economy. This applies to Nigeria where construction investments account for over 50% of the gross fixed capital formation. Akindoyeni (1989) qualitatively reasoned that some of the causes of project abandonment in Nigeria are: deaths of client, inability of client to attract fund and lack of good planning. This study is set up to quantitatively determine other causes of project abandonment and their effects on the environment. This will help to proffer solutions that will drastically reduce abandonment of projects in Nigeria

1.2     STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Due to the project abandoned (electronics market) in Zuba town, it has resulted into:

The locality has for long experienced all sort of social crime ranging from armed robbery to prostitution, sales and intake of hard drugs and unlawful substances such as marijuana e.t.c.

The abandoned project has served as home and hideout to perpetrators of unlawful activities thereby posting danger to its immediate environment.  

The abandoned project has promoted the activities of fraudsters and fake estate agent, who manipulate and sell to people fake titles to own space in this market,

The outright abandonment of this project gave room for another purpose in the said case study, which is the fruit market and this business activity has contributed to the degradation of the surrounding environment there by affecting the value of land and property around the neighborhood. 

1.3     AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this work is to investigate the factors that lead to projects abandonment and its effects on the environment through the following stated objectives.

1.     To examine the components of project abandonment.

2.     To identify the cause of   project was abandonment.

3.     To examine the effect of project abandonment on the environment.

1.4     NEED FOR THE STUDY

The research will be of paramount benefit as it brings to bear, clear understanding of the causes and subsequent effects of abandoned project on the environment and how to avoid and correct the existing problems post by the existing abandoned projects. The abandonment has contributed to so many problems faced in the neighborhood which ranges from lost on social cohesion, increase in crime rate, lost in land value e.t.c so it is pertinent to proffer lasting solutions to this challenges.  

1.5     RESEARCH QUESTION

From the statement of the problem above the following research questions are pertinent:

Ø What are the features of abandoned projects?

Ø What effect does this have on the environment?

Ø What has the authority in charge done to solve the pending challenge?

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research will serve as a reference material for subsequent research relating to this topic; the research will aid the community of Zuba town and it surrounding locality to  make alternative measure in solving problems related to project abandonment and will also assist the public and private sector make adequate plans as to avoid any failure in the completion of building project which might result to total abandonment.

The findings and recommendation will be a source of useful information to the people of Zuba as it presents to them, measures to drastically reduce the effects of project abandonment.

1.7     ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS

In the course of this work some important assumption will be made in order to present a clear description and interpretation of the real situation on ground around the case study. Based on the few interaction I hard with the occupants of this abandoned project am making an assumption that very few occupants of this abandoned project truly know the actual purpose for the establishment of the project. Some figures in the course of the research are not actually fact as at the time of compilation, example of these assumption are the actual number of illegal occupants, the total population figure ,the total land mass.

However, the most important limitations encountered in the course of this study ranges from: Financial constraints, time factor, Language factor, Non availability of informed material relating to the topic under writing.

1.8     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study covers Zuba town in Gwagwalada area council of Abuja, but for the purpose of proper analysis, the study will concentrate mainly on the abandoned electronic market in Zuba. My conceptual scope will be based on the security and social vices implication of the abandoned project.

1.9                 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

1.9.1    ABANDON

Longman Dictionary defines abandon as “to stop doing something” because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue. Abandon for the sake of this project can be defined as the act of totally deserting a project for reasons best known to the initiator of the project.

1.9.2  PROJECT

Tamuno and Otto (2000) saw project as an instrument of change, “a coordinated Series of action resulting from policy decision to change resource combination and levels, so as to contribute to the realization of a country’s development objectives”.

Amirize (2004) presented project as “any planned or deliberate programme of activities which can provide the support base, to complement efforts of individuals to enhance their well being and solve their peculiar problems”.

1.9.3  ABANDONED PROJECT

          Abandoned projects are defined as projects that meet the following criteria:

·        The project is not completed within or later than the delivery date stated in sale and purchase agreement or any other contract document showing the execution of the work and no significant activity is noticed at the construction site for six (6) continuous months and more (Tamonu and Otto 2000).

·        Project that post danger to the immediate environment as a result of poor or no usage of the constructed project (Tamonu and Otto 2000).

1.9.4 ENVIRONMENT

Environment is the sum of all external conditions influencing the growth and development of an organism in a population (Tamonu and Otto 2000) it can also be defined as the sum of the surrounding conditions including forces and objects, within which organisms or communities exist. Webster new dictionary defined environment as an aggregate of all external conditions and influences affecting the life and development of an organism. Environment is termed as habitat or a place of existence.

1.9.5 DEVELOPMENT

The town and country planning Decree No. 88 of 1992, defined development as any building and rebuilding operations or any use of land or any building thereon for a purpose which is different from the purpose for which the land or building was last being used. Development can also be defined as the carrying out of any building engineering, mining or other operations in, on, or under land or the making of any material change in the use of any land or building.

1.9.6  PROPERTY

Property has to do with the right that can be exercised in land. the ruling judge in the case of McKeon V. Bisbee G. Califf 137 (1858) defined property as “the exclusive right of possessing, enjoying, and disposing of a thing” Ely (1914) describes property as “bundle of right” which means property comprise of many right in order words, According to Olusegun, E (2002), he sees property as “the aggregate bundle or rights and privileges among people and between a person and his government in relation to a thing. Simply put property refers to as something owned.

1.9.7    PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

This is the use of land in its broadest sense to obtain a satisfactory environment, taking into consideration the social and economic needs of the society. In fact road construction land clearing, construction of houses, farming activities are all property development (Umeh 1983).

1.10   STUDY AREA

Zuba is located in Gwagwalada area council of Abuja; Nigeria. The town is a boundary between the federal capital territory (Abuja) and Niger state, proximate to it is the ancient city of Suleja. It has an area of 1,043 km²; the time zone is Africa/Lagos with latitude 9.0963889⁰, longitude 7.2127778⁰and a population of 157,770 (2006 census).

Before 1980 Zuba was physically characterized with rocks, mountains (which till date forms part of the land mass of the area) and little or no water source. Majority of the inhabitants of this town are Koro (the indigenes), Igbo, Gbagyi, Ebira and Hausa’s. There major occupation ranges from trade, transportation and manual jobs like laborers, earth excavators, water vendor e.t.c

Zuba is a thriving commercial area in Nigeria. It has a well developed motor spear part and motor circle market, electronics market (abandoned), a rapid growing fruit market close to the case study (electrical electronics market) and few banks to serve the need of the teaming business men and women. There are numerous transportation companies plying north, east, west, and south.

The road network in this town is not too appreciating with a high way running through Lokoja to the far north.

The Abuja (F.C.T) College of education is located towards the exits of the town with an appreciatable number of primary and secondary schools.

The postal code: P.O. box 9280 Garki Abuja. Below is the picture display of the abandoned electrical electronics market in zuba: