Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Procurement Method Selection has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with project cost performance. This growing interest reflects the recognition that procurement method selection does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected States in South-West Nigeria.

Within the context of Selected States in South-West Nigeria, this relationship carries particular significance. Organizations in this setting operate under a distinct combination of economic, regulatory, and market conditions that may amplify or dampen the effect of procurement method selection on project cost performance, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While procurement method selection is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on project cost performance within Selected States in South-West Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to procurement method selection are helping or hindering project cost performance — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Procurement Method Selection on project cost performance in Selected States in South-West Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which procurement method selection influences project cost performance within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with procurement method selection in relation to project cost performance.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing procurement method selection in order to improve project cost performance.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of procurement method selection on project cost performance in Selected States in South-West Nigeria?
2. To what extent does procurement method selection influence project cost performance within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with procurement method selection in relation to project cost performance?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize procurement method selection in order to improve project cost performance?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of quantity surveying, this study has practical value for management teams within Selected States in South-West Nigeria seeking to understand how procurement method selection translates into measurable outcomes around project cost performance. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected States in South-West Nigeria, focusing specifically on how procurement method selection relates to project cost performance within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.