Abandoned Public Projects Cost Nigeria Over N99.6 Billion

According to Guardian Nigeria, The government inherited ongoing projects valued at N14.42 trillion, with Finance ministry plans to pay 1,240 local contractors. BudgIT criticized BPP for oversight failures in public project execution, while experts blamed delayed payments and incomplete budget implementation.

Despite the absence of a centralized, regularly updated national record on neglected projects, data from government bodies and independent observers highlight the extent of the issue. The National Assembly cited figures showing more than 60,000 projects have been abandoned across the country, with their combined

The House of Representatives urged a thorough examination of neglected Federal Government projects, focusing on their contractual values, expenditures and progress status. BudgIT’s Tracka fieldwork offers additional insights, revealing that between September 2023 and September 2024, Tracka observed 1,404 government projects across 25 states.

Of the 1,404 projects tracked, 720, or 51 per cent, were finalized, while 332 were still in progress. A further 129 projects were left unattended or improperly managed, while 223 projects worth N79.81 billion were never initiated. Tracka calculated that the total value of abandoned projects reached approximately N19.81 billion, with the combined value of abandoned and unexecuted projects surpassing N99.6 billion.

Following this, Tracka evaluated 2,760 Federal Government capital projects under the 2024 budget, which totaled over N1.9 trillion, and identified major gaps in project execution. A total of 1,438 projects, with a value of N645.56 billion, were completed, whereas 660 projects, valued at N1.95 trillion, were still in progress. Additionally, 471 projects, amounting to N62.29 billion, remained uninitiated, while 99 projects worth N29.97 billion were left abandoned.