The U.S. Commission In Nigeria has reacted following an expose made by BudgIT, a Nigerian Civic Tech Organization, where over N2.4 billion funds was released since 2023 for a federal government projects with no contractor on site.
A press statement put out by BudgIT revealed that the funds were released in 2023 to seventeen contractors for fifteen projects across nine states-yet no contractor has commenced work on these sites.
Some of these projects include:
The payment of N401 million to Mainstream Contractors in December 2023 under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for the Rehabilitation of Welcome-Nasarawa-Farewell from Nasarawa, linking the North and Southern part of Nigeria in Nasarawa LGA, Nasarawa State; N153 million to Icent Light Ltd between August and November 2023 under the National Institute for Construction Technology, Uromi, for the Fencing, Landscaping and Completion of Onicha-Uku Town Hall and Event Centre at Aniocha/ Oshimili in Delta; and N88 million to A3 Interbiz Link Service Limited in December 2023 under the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria for the Construction and Equipping of PHC Centre in Adedeji Community, Ikirun, Osun State.
Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, while expressing concern over the non-execution of critical public projects despite the disbursement of funds, said, “Despite the clamour for increased allocations to capital expenditure by the Federal Government and sub-nationals, our tracking exercise has revealed that capital projects are the largest conduits of embezzlement and misappropriation.
“Poor oversight and collusion between MDAs and contractors undermine project execution, leading to outright abandonment. Given Nigeria’s pressing infrastructure deficits, public project execution must be seriously treated.
“We urge the current administration and anti-corruption agencies to close these
loopholes, hold defaulters accountable, and prevent further financial leakages. If left unchecked, Nigeria’s scarce resources will continue to be siphoned off by unscrupulous actors at the expense of national development.”
“We call on the anti-graft agencies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate these discrepancies in the 2023 budget expenditures and prosecute erring contractors.
“We also urge elected representatives to prioritise addressing abandoned projects outlined in the report to ensure the effective utilisation of public funds for maximum impact.
Reacting, the U.S. Commission In Nigeria in a tweet on Tuesday, commended BudgIT for the expose.
“Civil society is an important stakeholder in ensuring accountability and transparency. Recently, @BudgIT uncovered 2.4 billion Naira in payments for 15 federal projects across 9 states – yet no contractor has started work on these sites. #TransparencyTuesday,” the commission tweeted while quoting the BudgIT post.
