Evaluation of Project Managers’ Perspectives
in the Southwest Region, Nigeria
FEATURED PAPER
By Mitchell Olusegun Attarii; Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhDii; Gregory Chimere Enyinna, PhDii, Elias Andy Ulokoiii
i Modernatt Limited, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
ii Project Management Technology
Federal University of Technology
Owerri Imo State Nigeria
iii NNPCL, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study focused on the evaluation of accountability in projects based on the project managers’ perspective in the Southwest region of Nigeria. The objectives are to: determine what the project manager considers to be the scope of their accountability; ascertain how the project manager responds to their accountability demands and; establish what the project managers perceive to be the relationship between accountability and authority in an effort to be accountable. Guided by the pragmatist stance, the study adopts a qualitative research design, with the project manager as the unit of analysis. The data set consist of semi-structured interviews, with feedback from forty-six project managers, each with differing levels of experience, across a variety of industries. The findings are derived from the thematic analysis of the interview data. A key finding suggests that project managers embrace their accountability demands as self-accountability, directly related to their own self-management, contrary to being influenced by formal external accountability pressures. This finding corroborates with the idea that accountability is seen by project managers as the positive action of constructively achieving agreed outcomes, contrary to accountability in the general business environment, which is seen as a negative concept implying fault if goals are not achieved. The study also supports the suggestion, initially raised by project managers, that there is a mismatch between the demands of being accountable and the requisite levels of formal authority. Hence, the study recommends blending the accountability demands placed upon project managers with decision-making, governance, the utilization of project plans, and the concept of authority.
Keywords: accountability, authority, project management, governance, project manager
- Introduction
Project managers are responsible for project performance, hence, their perceptions on the issue of accountability in project management processes must be understood in order to enhance the quality of project delivery in the Southwest region of Nigeria. A project is a short-term endeavor with a specific goal in mind. So, in order for an activity to be properly referred to as a project, it needs to have several qualities, such as committed resources, specific goals, a well-defined plan, a governance model, and be an original activity that has never been carried out before Kerzner (2017). Winkler et al. (2022) supported this viewpoint. However, project management is a role that has been embraced by the majority of enterprises and organizations functioning in the current economy, and managing operations as “projects” has grown in popularity.
Various economic groups have released projections anticipating the degree of development in utilization of project management (Tracy, 2024). These include the suggestion that the global project portfolio market size was valued at 3.8 billion GBP in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.4% from 2020 to 2027 and that by 2025, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created (World Bank 2016). The UK Project Management Institute (2018) conducted a global survey in 2018 that examined project management trends and found further evidence of the widespread use of project management. 800 project management office (PMO) directors, 447 senior executives, and 4,455 project management practitioners provided them with input. Government, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, and construction were among the industries represented. North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) comprised the respondents. According to the study, 94% of the organizations surveyed claimed that project management was their main business process and that they were more confidence in their ability to produce business advantages when they implement change using a recognized methodology.
These results are consistent with those of McAllister and Gaidon (2023), who interviewed 1440 top executives about their project management practices. According to the response, project management was the main business tool used by 72% of organizations. This percentage rose to 91% when the study was conducted again in 2019. This suggests that project management is unquestionably regarded as having an impact and that more businesses are choosing this strategy as their go-to method for bringing about change.
More…
To read entire paper, click here
How to cite this paper: Attari, M. O., Echeme, I. I., Enyinna, G. C., Uloko, E. A. (2026). Accountability in Project Management: Evaluation of Project Managers’ Perspectives in the Southwest Region, Nigeria; PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue I, January. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pmwj160-Jan2026-Attari-et-al-Accountability-in-project-management.pdf
About the Authors
Mitchell Olusegun Attari
Lagos State, Nigeria
Olusegun Mitchell Attari is a dedicated person at Modernatt Ltd. Mitchell have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and completed an Executive Master’s program in Project Management at Project Management College, United Kingdom. Throughout his academic career, he built a solid foundation in project planning, and possesses great administrative and logistics management skills which have armed him with both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise. In addition, Mitchell have worked on a variety of projects and possesses good problem-solving and analytical abilities. He is a happy family man.
Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme, PhD
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Ibeawuchi Ifeanyi Echeme is a lecturer in the department of Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Echeme has a B.Tech, MSc, and PhD in Project Management Technology and has published more than fifty (50) articles in both international and national reputable journals. Dr. Echeme has published a textbook on Project Time, Cost and Quality Management. He is a Chartered member of Chartered Institute of Project Managers Nigeria (CIPMN), Chartered member, Association of Practicing Project Managers of Nigeria (APPMON), Certified Project Director (CPD) and a member of International Project Management Professionals (IPMP). Dr. Echeme has presented papers in conferences and workshops within and outside Nigeria. He can be contacted through; ibeecheme@yahoo.com
Gregory Chimere Enyinna, PhD
Federal University of Technology
Owerri, Nigeria
Gregory Chimere Enyinna is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Project Management Technology, and Currently the Head of Department, Project Management Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He studied B.Sc. in Geography and Planning and an M.Sc. in Environmental Management from Abia State University. He studied his Ph.D in Germany. He is a Fellow of Institute of Management Consulting and the Institute of Policy Management Developers. He is a Resource Person at the World Bank Centre of Excellence in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He can be reached at pycongregco@gmail.com
Elias Andy Uloko
Warri, Delta State Nigeria
Elias Andy Uloko is an accomplished Operations Engineer with over two decades of dedicated service at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). With more than 20 years of progressive experience in the oil and gas industry, he has developed deep expertise across key technical and managerial domains, including completions engineering, production engineering, facilities management, asset management, budgeting, and stakeholder management.
Elias holds a first degree in Chemical Engineering and a second degree in Project Management Technology, a combination that has equipped him with both the technical depth and strategic acumen required to manage complex operations and deliver sustainable results. His strong leadership, problem-solving ability, and commitment to operational excellence have earned him recognition as a dependable professional within NNPCL and the broader energy sector. Beyond his professional achievements, Elias Uloko Andy is a devoted family man.
