In a new report by Tracka, BudgIT’s service delivery monitoring platform, a staggering N3.41 billion was disbursed for 56 federal government projects in 2023 without a contractor beginning work on the sites.
The report raised concerns about how project abandonment or fraudulent execution, poor oversight, and lack of accountability in public project execution undermine the development of rural and urban communities.
BudgIT’s Acting Head of Tracka, Joshua Osiyemi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during an anti-corruption radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG.
Osiyemi stated that “the total number of projects tracked between 2023 and 2024 that were not executed was 223, but the ones that were funded and remained undone at all were 56, amounting to N3.41bn.
He stressed that the report is supposed to concern all Nigerians because the funds are essential for national development. He noted that the misappropriations exposed during the tracking exercise would have been avoidable if proper oversight by duty bearers had been in place.
“Between August 2023 and September 2024, out of 1,404 Federal Government projects tracked with a total allocation of N282 billion, 720 were completed, 332 are ongoing, 129 have been abandoned/fraudulently delivered, while 223 not executed”.
Citing cases of projects that were not done at all, Osiyemi said, “In Niger State, two contractors got N200m for the provision of hospitals in Paiko and Suleja Local Government Areas (LGAs), Niger State, and we discovered that these materials were procured but were kept in the local government office. The senator representing the LGAs was reported to have kept it to be distributed at a particular time. Meanwhile, these sensitive materials are exclusively for the health sector.
“Also, in Abia State, there was a 1km road meant to be in Ohafia, which was done, but 6 months into the project, we saw potholes all over the road. Some projects are delivered but not open for access to the people, and the question is why?
“In Nasarawa State, there is the Welcome/Farewell indication that cost N1.18bn, which was to be done in every community in the state, but over N400m was released for that project was not used.”
Osiyemi blamed the infractions uncovered in the report on corruption stemming from collusion between the government’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), poor oversight function by legislators, and flaws in procurement processes. Adding that budget insertions by federal lawmakers is booming the fraud.
“There are cases where the MDAs that are supposed to perform oversight on some of these projects are seen to be conniving with contractors. So, procurement processes must be beefed up to ensure that things are done well, and oversight is critical to our conversation. Another one is that there is no collusion between the state and federal agencies.
“In 2021, they (federal lawmakers) inserted more than 4,000 projects into the budget; in 2022, more than 4,000 projects in the budget; in 2023, more than 5,000 projects into the budget; 2024, over 7,000 projects were inserted into the budget worth about N3bn,” He stated.
Osiyemi said the EFCC and the ICPC, the leading anti-graft agencies, are already aware of the report and are seeking Nigerians’ sympathy for calling on their representatives at the National Assembly to take action.
For his part, a community champion Gwagwalada Area Council Tracka—BudgIT, Usman Muhammad, corroborated the existing rot in public project execution, claiming that capital projects in the 2023/2024 budgets for rural communities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are not fully on the ground, while some of those executed use substandard materials.
His words: “If you go to the field, you’ll see that what is on paper is different from what is on the ground. The whole projects in Gwagwalada are nothing to write home about. The first problem is that for 2023 and 2024 projects, some are not yet on the ground, and secondly, some of the projects don’t last more than one year because of low-quality materials.
“For example, the PHC and the Primary schools, it’s difficult to boast 2 or 3 Primary schools in the 62 wards. Children still sit on the grounds, and the classes are dilapidated.”
Muhammad lamented the inability of the system to punish contractors, MDAs, or legislators who misappropriate project funds. He insisted that the solution to the existential problem of contract fraud is transparency and proper needs assessment while urging members of the public to own and protect projects brought to their communities by the government at all times.
“It is difficult to see someone punished for fraud in service delivery. Citizens need to be aware that the funds for the projects are their funds and, therefore, protect them.
“For the current administration, let them look into the primary needs of the individuals or communities and have good representation and open assessment in the 774 LGAs. This will make project execution turn out well,” Muhammad advised.
Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program, PRIMORG, that draws the government’s and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.
The program runs in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation.