Daud Olatunji
In a startling revelation, BudgIT’s service delivery monitoring platform, Tracka, has uncovered gross mismanagement of public funds amounting to N3.9 billion across Nigeria.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that according to their latest report titled “Achieving National Development through Efficient Service Delivery,” released in Abuja on Thursday, a total of 129 projects funded by the Federal Government have been abandoned by contractors who received payments for their execution.
PLATFORM TIMES further reports that the report highlights several egregious cases of fund misappropriation.
According to BudgIT, despite receiving N401 million in December 2023 from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mainstream Contractors have yet to commence rehabilitation work on the Welcome-Nasarawa-Farewell road in Nasarawa State, crucial for connecting the North and South of Nigeria.
The BudgIT added that similarly, Icent Light Ltd was paid N153 million between August and November 2023 for landscaping and completing the Onicha-Uku Town Hall and Event Centre in Delta State under the National Institute for Construction Technology, Uromi. Shockingly, the project remains untouched.
It further stated that in Osun State, A3 Interbiz Link Service Limited received N88 million in December 2023 from the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria for constructing and equipping a primary healthcare center in Adedeji Community, Ikirun. Regrettably, no progress has been recorded on this vital community project.
“These and other payments worth N3.9bn for abandoned projects nationwide were highlighted in Tracka’s 2023/2024 Report.”
Tracka’s monitoring covered 1,404 projects worth N282.5bn across 25 states, revealing that 720 projects (51 per cent) were completed, 332 (24 per cent) were ongoing, while 129 (9 per cent) were either abandoned or fraudulently executed.
Also, 223 projects (16 per cent) were not executed at all, raising concerns about project accountability and oversight.
The report also assessed performance across ten Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, ranking the Universal Basic Education Commission as the best performer with a 78 per cent completion rate, followed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (68 per cent) and the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency (65 per cent).
However, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (16 per cent) and the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (20 per cent) recorded the lowest performance, highlighting inefficiencies in project implementation.
Reacting to the development, Gabriel Okeowo, BudgIT’s Country Director, condemned the widespread misuse of funds, emphasizing that capital projects have become fertile grounds for embezzlement due to poor oversight and collusion between government agencies and contractors.
He expressed grave concern over the implications of such mismanagement on Nigeria’s infrastructural development.
Okeowo stated “despite the Federal Government’s emphasis on capital expenditure, our findings reveal that these projects are plagued by corruption, leading to rampant abandonment.”
The report further disclosed that Tracka monitored 1,404 projects worth N282.5 billion across 25 states, revealing a stark reality: only 51% of the projects were completed, while 9% were abandoned or executed fraudulently.
LIn response to these revelations, Tracka has called upon anti-graft agencies such as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate these irregularities thoroughly.
They have also urged elected officials to prioritize the completion of abandoned projects listed in their report to ensure that public funds are utilized for the betterment of Nigerian communities.
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