Infostride News, a civic-tech non-profit organization, has brought to light the disconcerting revelation of an N8.6 billion payment allocated for 19 projects left in various states across Nigeria. This disclosure, stemming from a survey conducted by Tracka, a service delivery promotion platform of Infostride News, underscores the lack of execution or completion of these projects despite the funds allocated in the 2022 budget.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, the organization detailed the findings, shedding light on the states where these abandoned projects are situated. Noteworthy among them is the payment of N542 million to Abu-Halawa International Limited for the construction of the Jare Earth Dam in Katsina, a project under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWRNigeria).
Astonishingly, no progress has been made on the site since December 2020. Additionally, a payment of N630 million to Babar Global Services Nigeria Ltd and Foundation Solid (NIG) LTD for the Ogbese Multi-Purpose Dam Project in Ekiti, also under the FMWRNigeria, has seen the site abandoned since 2021.
This revelation was part of BudgIT’s tracking report, titled “Empowering Communities for Economic Growth,” which delved into the monitoring of 3,691 projects across 22 states in Nigeria from August 2022 to August 2023. The report disclosed that out of these projects, 2,037 were completed, 1,012 are ongoing, and 533 have been left unexecuted or abandoned.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the contractors’ failure to fulfill their obligations despite receiving payments, Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT Country’s Director, urged President Tinubu to address the systemic issues leading to the misappropriation of capital expenditure in budgetary allocation.
Okeowo emphasized the need for President Tinubu’s administration to devise strategies to rectify the existing loopholes and leakages that contribute to the mismanagement of capital expenditure. He lamented, “Despite the clamor for increased allocation to capital expenditure by the federal government and some nationals, our tracking exercise has revealed that capital projects are the largest conduit of embezzlement and misappropriation.”
The lack of effective oversight by legislative ministries and agencies was underscored as a significant factor contributing to poor project execution and, in some cases, outright abandonment. Okeowo urged all levels of government to take public project execution seriously, considering the substantial infrastructure gaps faced by the nation. He concluded with a hope that the new administration under President Tinubu would take proactive measures to address these issues, preventing expenditure from being akin to “pouring water into a basket.”
In essence, the report from Infostride News raises serious concerns about the management and execution of capital projects in Nigeria, calling for a comprehensive and systemic approach to address the issues of misappropriation and abandonment. The plea for increased oversight and strategic interventions from the government highlights the urgency of tackling the loopholes that contribute to the inefficiencies in the execution of public projects.
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