Corruption-Related Factors Limiting the Success of Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP) in Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study analyzed corruption-related factors limiting the effectiveness of Community and Social Development Projects (CSDP) in Imo State, Nigeria. Specifically, it determined the people’s participation in the projects, assessed their perceived effectiveness of the projects, and identified corruption-related constraints to the success of the projects in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 216 respondents. A set of structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from the respondents. Data were analyzed using percentages and mean. Results show that effective projects were water borehole (88.4%), drainage systems (88.4%), solid waste management (86.6%) and construction of health centres (86.6%). The result further revealed that theft (90.0%), untimely release of counterpart fund (80.8%), embezzlement of funds by government officials (79.9%), diversion of project equipment (78.0%) and bloating of project cost (78.2%) were the major constraints to CSDP in the study area. The use of participatory approaches in the running of the projects, proper need assessment and strict monitoring and evaluation of projects were recommended for the effectiveness of the project in the study area.