Drivers of Timely Payment in Public Building Projects in Nigeria

The role of contractors in the delivery of construction projects cannot be over emphasized. Their satisfaction is important as this can influence the success of the project. This satisfaction can be achieved through timely payment of job executed by them. This study therefore assessed the drivers of timely payment in public building projects in Nigeria using a quantitative approach. Structured questionnaire was administered on 289 participants from the Ministry Department and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Contractors and Consultants (Architects and Quantity Surveyors) that have been engaged by Ekiti State MDAs and tertiary institutions in the State. These participants were selected based on their participation in building projects within the identified area in the last sixteen years. A total of 17 drivers were assessed and factor analysis was used to analyse the data gathered. The study concludes that the major drivers of timely payment of public building projects within the study area are contractor related, project related, client related and consultant related. The study further recommends that contractors should be proactive during the course of executing construction works, as their activities plays a larger part in the timely payment of works they execute.  Also, client should be fair in their payment and effective planning must done from the planning stage of the project. It is expected that the findings of this study will go a long way in assisting public building project stakeholders in ensuring timely payment and by extension achieve successful project delivery.